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💇 English Lesson: Let's Talk About Hair!

Level: Lower Intermediate (A2–B1)
Duration: 60 minutes

🎯 Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

Describe people's hair.

Talk about hair colour and hairstyles.

Explain if someone dyes their hair.

Ask and answer questions about appearance.

Use have/has got and used to naturally.

🗣️ Warm-up (8 minutes)

Ask your student:

1. What colour is your hair?

2. Is your hair straight, curly, or wavy?

3. Have you ever dyed your hair?

4. What hair colour would you like to try?

5. Do you know anyone who is bald?

6. Who has the nicest hair in your family?

Follow-up questions

How often do you cut your hair?

Do you like long or short hair?

Would you ever shave your head?

📚 Vocabulary

Hair Colours

black

brown

blonde / blond

ginger

grey

white

Hair Types

straight

curly

wavy

long

short

thick

thin

bald

Useful Verbs

to dye

To change the colour of your hair.

Examples:

She dyes her hair blonde.

My sister dyed her hair pink.

I have never dyed my hair.

📰 Reading

Phil's Hair Story

When Phil was a child, he had ginger hair. As he got older, his hair became darker and now it is brown.

Georgie asks Phil if he has ever dyed his hair.

Phil says no. His hair changed naturally.

Georgie says many people dye their hair because they want a different look. Some people dye it blonde, black, red, or even blue.

Phil says that when he gets older, his hair may become grey or white.

They also talk about different hairstyles. Some people have curly hair, while others have straight or wavy hair. Some people lose their hair and become bald.

Hair is something that makes every person look unique.

📖 Reading Comprehension

1. What colour was Phil's hair when he was young?

2. Does Phil dye his hair?

3. Why do people dye their hair?

4. What colour might Phil's hair become?

5. What hair types do they mention?

6. What does bald mean?

🗨️ Grammar Focus

Used to

We use used to to talk about the past.

Examples:

I used to have long hair.

She used to dye her hair.

He used to be blonde.

Now make sentences:

I used to...

My mother used to...

My father used to...

When I was a child...

Have/Has Got

Examples

I have got curly hair.

She has got long blonde hair.

They have got black hair.

Practice:

Describe:

yourself

your mother

your father

your best friend

💬 Useful Expressions

I have curly hair.

She has long brown hair.

He is bald.

My hair is wavy.

I dye my hair every year.

I have never dyed my hair.

I would like blonde hair.

I think curly hair looks nice.

🎯 Vocabulary Challenge

Complete the sentences.

1. My sister ______ her hair blonde every summer.

2. My grandfather is ______ because he has no hair.

3. My cousin has beautiful ______ hair.

4. My hair isn't straight. It's ______.

5. My friend has ______ hair. It's orange-red.

6. My father ______ to have black hair, but now it's grey.

🏠 Homework

Write 8–10 sentences about your hair.

Include:

your hair colour

your hairstyle

how often you cut it

if you have ever dyed it

what your hair was like when you were younger

what hairstyle you would like in the future

Challenge: Use at least three of these words: ginger, curly, wavy, bald, dye, blonde, and include one sentence with used to.

Answers

1. dyes

2. bald

3. curly

4. wavy

5. ginger

6. used

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about hair

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Georgie and Phil talk about the stuff that grows on the top of your head

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Five uses of 'get'

Buy / obtain/ter
Get can mean buy or obtain.

I got myself a new phone last weekend.

I bought myself a new cellphone.

I need to get some new clothes.

let me get you a glass of water, you look pale.

I got acaraje there last weekend

Receive
Get can mean receive.

I just got a message from Cristiano, he is coming late.

I got a bike for my birthday!

I got an email from my boss.

I just got my salary.

Become/ ficar/ converter/virar/mudar
Get with an adjective can mean become.

I'm getting annoyed.

It's got quite hot in here suddenly.

I got very sad with the news about Argentina and England.

the weather got colder in Salvador

the company is getting very open to new positions.

Understand
Get can mean understand.

I don't get this joke.

I don't often meet people who get this type of movie.

i dont get my husband sometimes.

and he doesn't get me too.

Arrive
Get can mean arrive.

I need to get home early so I'm off!

What time will you get here?

my boss gets here very early.

I normally get to work very early.

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Hi, I'm Sian from BBC Learning English. Today, I'm going to give you five uses of the verb . So you get five lessons for the price of one!

Number one - get can mean buy or obtain. I got myself a new phone last weekend.

Number two - get can mean receive. I just got a message.

Number three - get with an adjective can mean become. Ugh! So many messages! I'm getting really annoyed!

Number four - get can also mean understand. Hang on someone's just sent me a joke... I don't get it! 'In tents!' I get it!

Number five - get can also mean arrive. I need to get home early so I'm off!

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 19 / Activity 1

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Hi, I'm Sian from BBC Learning English. Today, I'm going to give you five uses of the verb . So you get five lessons for the price of one! Number one - get can mean buy or obtain. I got myself a new phone last weekend. Number two - get can mean receive.

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🌊 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

🎯 Grammar Focus: GET & Phrasal Verbs with GET

Main Objective

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

understand the different meanings of get;

recognize and use common phrasal verbs with get;

use these expressions naturally when talking about adventures, travel, and everyday situations.

1. The Verb GET

Get is one of the most common and flexible verbs in English. Its meaning changes depending on the context.

Some common meanings are:

1. Get = Receive

I got an email yesterday.

She got a gift for her birthday.

I got a message from an old friend today.

2. Get = Become/ficar plus the adjective

It gets cold at night./

The situation is getting dangerous.

The problem is getting out of hand.

the surgery is getting complicated.

i am getting chubby because I am eating fat.

From the story

The problem is getting out of hand.

This means the situation is becoming difficult to control.

More examples:

The weather is getting worse.

The sea was getting rough.

He is getting tired.

3. Get = Arrive

We got home at midnight.

What time did they get to the island?

The ship finally got to its destination.

we got late to the party.

we will get early.

can you help me how to get to my hotel?

4. Get = Obtain

They wanted to get the mysterious creature.

I need to get a new passport.

Can you get some water?

let me get you some wine.

5. Get = Understand

I don't get it.

Did you get the joke?

Now I get what Captain Nemo meant.

I can get you now, before I didnt get you

2. Phrasal Verb: Get Underway

From the story

Their journey gets underway...

Meaning

To begin or start, especially a journey, project, or event.

Examples

The meeting got underway at 9 a.m.

The rescue operation got underway immediately.

The expedition got underway despite the storm.

after the hit of the ship got underway the rescue for the passengers.

the surgery got underway at 9 am.

Ask:

When does your English class usually get underway?

When did your last vacation get underway?

3. Phrasal Verb: Get Out Of Hand

From the story

The problem is getting out of hand.

Meaning

To become impossible or difficult to control.

Examples

The fire got out of hand.

The discussion got out of hand.

Expenses are getting out of hand.

the surgery is getting out of hand.

Speaking

Have you ever seen a situation get out of hand?

Can social media arguments get out of hand?

4. Phrasal Verb: Throw Overboard

Although this is not a get phrasal verb, it appears in the story.

Meaning:

To throw someone or something into the sea.

Example

The sailors were thrown overboard during the attack.

5. Expression: Get Locked Up

From the story

Someone takes them on board and they get locked up in a cell.

I got looked up in a room with no food, no water but with 2 handsome guys.

Meaning

To become locked inside a place.

Notice the pattern:

get + past participle/ adjectives

This structure often shows a change of state.

Examples

He got injured.

They got trapped.

We got separated.

She got promoted.

They got arrested.

The explorers got lost.

Ask

What happened to the men?

They got locked up in a cell.

6. Other Common GET + Past Participle Expressions

These are extremely common in spoken English.

get married

get dressed

get hurt/ I got hurt after I knew about Nino.

get lost

get caught/catch/ I got caught by the police

get confused

get injured

get promoted/cristiano got promoted.

get fired/ got fired

I hire people so they can work here and I dont expect them to be fired.

get stuck/ I was late because Cristiano and I got stuck in the traffic jam/ rush hour.

Examples

The divers got lost underwater.

He got hurt during the expedition.

We got stuck in traffic.

She got promoted last month.

7. Vocabulary in Context

Ask the student to explain these expressions.

The problem is getting out of hand.

What does it mean?

The journey gets underway.

What starts?

The men get locked up in a cell.

What happens to them?

8. Guided Practice

Complete the sentences.

1. The meeting will get __started ______ at 10 a.m.

2. The situation is getting __out______ of hand.

3. The explorers got __stuck______ in the cave.

4. I didn't get the __information ______.

5. We got ___home _____ very late last night.

Possible answers:

underway

out

lost

joke

home

9. Speaking Practice

Use get naturally.

Have you ever gotten lost while travelling?

What makes you get excited?

When do you usually get home?

What time do you get up?

Have you ever gotten injured playing sports?

What things can get out of hand in daily life?

How long does it take for your classes to get underway?

10. Challenge Activity

Retell the story using as many get expressions as possible.

Example:

The expedition gets underway when the government sends a ship to find the mysterious creature. Soon, the situation gets out of hand, and the sailors get thrown overboard. Later, they get locked up inside the Nautilus, where they begin to understand Captain Nemo's mysterious world.

⭐ Key Takeaway

One verb, many meanings!

Get can mean:

receive (I got a letter.)

become (It's getting colder.)

arrive (We got home late.)

obtain (Let's get some food.)

understand (I get it!)

experience a change (They got lost. He got injured. She got promoted.)

The story also introduces useful phrasal verbs and expressions with get that are common in everyday English:

get underway = begin

get out of hand = become uncontrollable

get locked up = become locked inside a place

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BBC Learning English - Course: Towards Advanced / Unit 22 / Session 4 / Activity 1

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DarrenHello, I’m Darren. Today’s story is set in the 1800s and is a watery adventure that takes us deep under the ocean in search of a mysterious creature. What can it be? Let’s find out.

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Things We Can't Stand!

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)
Topic: Annoying vs Frustrating Situations
Time: 60–75 minutes

Warm-up Questions

1. What is something you absolutely can't stand?

I think the boring people, the inconvenient people I can't stand. when my rights are not respected and followed.

2. What annoys you most about modern life?

the new scenario around the world, specially the extreme right, this is so boring and annoying and it an absurd about the limitations they bring directed to women's rights.

1. What frustrates you when you're using technology?

when the technology doesn't work/function.

1. Are you easily annoyed, or are you usually patient at work?

it depends, sometimes I have much resilience when I have specific subjects to work on or personal things to solve and if you are not helping I can get annoyed that's normal.

I get annoyed when people have a lack of a sense of urgency in risky situations.

What annoying habit does your husband have?

I think is asking unnecessary questions like where are the keys or he doesn't find stuff without even looking for it.

Useful Expressions

I can't stand corruption.

It drives me crazy when I see people littering on the street.

It really gets on my nerves when people jump the line.

One thing that annoys me is calling centers.

I find it frustrating when you dont have a good system in an institution.

It makes me lose my patience when the service is slow.

Vocabulary/ homework. make and extra example of the vocabulary.

Can't stand

To strongly dislike something.

Examples

I can't stand people who are always late.

She can't stand waiting in long lines.

Annoying / Irritating

Something that causes a small feeling of anger or discomfort.

Examples

Loud chewing is annoying.

The constant noise is irritating.

Annoyed / Irritated

The feeling you experience.

Examples

I get annoyed when people interrupt me.

He was irritated by the loud music.

Frustrating

Something that prevents you from doing what you want to do.

Examples

Slow internet is frustrating.

It's frustrating when your phone battery dies unexpectedly.

Frustrated

The feeling you experience.

Examples

I felt frustrated because I couldn't solve the problem.

She's frustrated with the delays.

Vocabulary Check

Choose the best word:

1. When my computer freezes while I'm working, I feel:

annoyed

frustrated

2. A mosquito buzzing near your ear is:

annoying

frustrating

3. If you can't finish something because of a problem, you are:

irritated

frustrated

4. Someone talking loudly in the cinema is:

annoying

frustrating

Explain your answers.

Reading: Why Small Things Make Us So Angry/homework

Many people believe that major problems cause the most stress, but surprisingly, it is often the small things that affect us the most. Psychologists call these daily annoyances "minor stressors." They include situations such as waiting in traffic, listening to noisy neighbours, dealing with slow internet, or standing behind someone who takes a long time to order food.

One reason these situations are so irritating is that they happen repeatedly. A single delay may not be a problem, but when the same thing happens every day, it can become difficult to ignore. Over time, these small frustrations can have a significant effect on our mood.

Technology has also created a new category of frustrations. Modern devices are designed to make life easier, so when they fail, people often feel frustrated. A frozen computer, a weak Wi-Fi signal, or a website that crashes just before a payment is completed can quickly test a person's patience.

Interestingly, people react differently to annoying situations. Some individuals remain calm and patient, while others become irritated very quickly. Experts suggest that personality, stress levels, and even lack of sleep can influence how people respond to everyday problems.

Although we cannot eliminate every annoyance from our lives, learning to stay calm can help. Taking a deep breath, focusing on what we can control, and maintaining a sense of humour are all effective ways to deal with annoying and frustrating situations.

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice

1. According to the article, what often affects people more than major problems?
a) Technology
b) Daily annoyances
c) Work

2. Why do small annoyances become more irritating?
a) They are expensive.
b) They happen repeatedly.
c) They are dangerous.

3. Why are technology problems often frustrating?
a) Technology is difficult to understand.
b) Technology is expensive.
c) Technology is supposed to make life easier.

4. What can influence how people react to annoying situations?
a) Personality and stress levels
b) Age only
c) Income

Discussion

Do you agree with the article? Why or why not?

Which example from the text do you relate to most?

Are you more patient today than you were five years ago?

What strategies do you use to stay calm?

Grammar Focus: Gerunds After "Can't Stand"

After can't stand, we usually use a verb ending in -ing.

Examples

I can't stand waiting in traffic.

She can't stand listening to loud music.

We can't stand being interrupted.

Practice

Complete the sentences:

1. I can't stand __________ (wait) for people who are late.

2. My friend can't stand __________ (lose) arguments.

3. She can't stand __________ (be) ignored.

4. We can't stand __________ (hear) loud noises while studying.

5. He can't stand __________ (deal) with customer complaints.

Speaking Activity: My Biggest Pet Peeves

Choose five things that annoy or frustrate you.

For each one, explain:

Why it annoys or frustrates you

How often it happens

How you usually react

Whether other people agree with you

Example:

I can't stand people who stop suddenly while walking. It annoys me because I often walk quickly and it interrupts my pace.

Useful Expressions for Speaking

That really gets on my nerves.

I find that incredibly annoying.

It drives me crazy.

I lose my patience when...

One thing I can't stand is...

It's frustrating because...

I try not to let it bother me.

I've learned to be more patient about it.

Debate Question

Are people becoming less patient because of technology?

Discuss:

Faster internet and instant communication

Online shopping and same-day delivery

Social media and short attention spans

Whether technology has made people more demanding

Try to use:

annoying

frustrated

frustrating

irritated

can't stand

Homework

Writing Task (200–250 words)

The Most Annoying and Frustrating Things in Modern Life

Write about:

Three things that annoy you.

Two things that frustrate you.

Why they affect you.

How you usually react.

Whether people today are less patient than before.

Use at least 8 vocabulary words or expressions from today's lesson.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about hates

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Neil and Georgie talk about the things that make them angry!

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Read the article and answer the questions below. To listen to this article, click here for an audio download.

Vocabulary

hive
a home for bees

spin
(of a web) when spiders make their homes

dam
a wall built to stop or control water

nest
a home built by animals (like birds) for eggs or babies

architect
a person who designs buildings

pass down
give something (like traits or knowledge) from parent to child

transmit
send something from one place or person to another

trait
a feature or characteristic of a living thing

imitate
to copy someone or something

caregiver
who looks after someone else

coin
to invent a new word or phrase

evolution
the slow change of living things over time

invasive
has spread quickly in a new place and caused harm

mate
who you choose to reproduce or have babies

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BBC Learning English - The Reading Room / Do birds build their homes like humans?

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Birds teach each other how to build a home

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How Advertising Influences Our Choices

Level:

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Talk about things they buy and why they buy them.

Discuss how advertising influences people's decisions.

Learn and use new vocabulary related to shopping and marketing.

Express opinions and personal experiences.

Practice reading, speaking, and vocabulary skills.

Warm-Up

Discussion Questions

1. What was the last thing you bought?

2. Why did you buy it?

3. Did you compare different products before buying?

4. Have you ever bought something because you saw an advertisement?

5. Do advertisements influence your decisions?

Pre-Reading Vocabulary

Match the words with their meanings.

1. mental shortcut/

2. judged/

3. upsell/

4. basket spend /

5. think outside the box/

6. model/

a. show behaviour that others can copy

b. amount of money spent in one purchase/compra.

c. sell a more expensive product or extra products

d. worried about what other people think

e. a quick way to make a decision

f. think creatively

Answers

1-e

2-d

3-c

4-b

5-f

6-a

Reading

Why Do We Buy Things?

Many people believe they make rational decisions when they go shopping. However, advertisers and businesses use different strategies to influence customers.

Sometimes people use a mental shortcut when choosing a product. Instead of carefully comparing every option, they choose the brand they recognize or the product that seems popular.

People may also worry about being judged by others. For example, they might buy certain clothes, phones, or shoes because they want to make a good impression.

Stores often try to upsell customers. A salesperson may suggest a more expensive product or offer additional items to increase the basket spend.

Companies also try to model behaviour. If customers see other people enjoying a product, they may be more likely to buy it too.

Understanding these techniques can help people become smarter shoppers and think outside the box when making decisions.

Reading Comprehension

True or False

1. People always compare every product carefully before buying. TRUE

2. Mental shortcuts help people make decisions quickly. TRUE.

3. Upselling means selling cheaper products. FALSE

4. Companies sometimes use other people as examples to influence customers. TRUE

5. Understanding advertising techniques can help consumers. TRUE

Answer the Questions

1. What is a mental shortcut?

2. Why might people buy certain products to avoid being judged?

3. What is upselling?

4. What does basket spend mean?

5. How can understanding advertising help consumers?

Language Focus

Talking About Purchases

Useful phrases:

I bought it because...

I chose it because...

It was cheaper than...

It looked better than...

I saw it in an advertisement.

A friend recommended it.

I needed it for...

It seemed like a good deal.

Examples

I bought these shoes because they were comfortable.

I chose this phone because it had a better camera.

I bought it after seeing an online advertisement.

Speaking Practice

Tell Me About Your Last Purchase

Answer the questions:

1. What was the last thing you bought?

2. Where did you buy it?

3. Why did you choose it?

4. Did you compare it with other products?

5. Were you influenced by an advertisement, a friend, or social media?

Vocabulary Practice

Complete the sentences with the words below.

mental shortcut – judged – upsell – basket spend – model – think outside the box

1. The salesperson tried to __________ me a more expensive laptop.

2. Many people use a __________ when choosing familiar brands.

3. Some teenagers worry about being __________ by their friends.

4. The store wants to increase the customer's __________.

5. Good leaders often __________ positive behaviour.

6. We need to __________ to solve this problem.

Discussion

Agree or Disagree?

1. Advertising influences everyone.

2. Social media influencers are effective advertisers.

3. People spend too much money on brands.

4. Companies know how to influence customers better than customers realize.

5. Young people are more influenced by advertising than adults.

Explain your answers using:

I agree because...

I disagree because...

In my opinion...

I think that...

Mini Role Play

Customer and Salesperson

Student A: Customer

You want to buy a new backpack.

Student B: Salesperson

Try to upsell the customer by recommending a more expensive backpack with extra features.

After the role play, discuss:

Did the customer buy the more expensive product?

Why or why not?

Homework

Writing Task (100–120 words)

Describe the last thing you bought.

Include:

What it was

Where you bought it

Why you chose it

Whether advertising influenced your decision

Whether you are happy with your purchase

Try to use at least three vocabulary words from today's lesson.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How advertisers make us spend money

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When was the last time you bought something you didn’t need?

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Warm-up

Ask:

Do you think life exists on another planet?

Do you believe in aliens?

Would you like to visit another planet?

Could humans live somewhere other than Earth?

Which planet would you like to visit?

Encourage simple answers first:

Yes, maybe.
I’m not sure.
I think so because…
Probably not because…

Space Vocabulary

planet

A large object in space that moves around a star.

Example:
Earth is our planet.

alien

A living creature from another planet.

Example:
Some people believe aliens exist.

Earth

The planet we live on.

Example:
Earth is the only planet we know with life.

star

A large ball of burning gas in space.

Example:
The Sun is a star.

solar system

The Sun and all the planets around it.

Example:
Earth is part of our solar system.

habitable

A place where life can live.

Example:
Scientists think the planet may be habitable.

zone

An area with a special characteristic.

Example:
The habitable zone is the area where water may exist.

potential

Possible in the future.

Example:
The planet has potential for life.

rule out

To say something is not possible.

Example:
Scientists cannot rule out life on the planet.

dominated

Controlled by something.

Example:
Its atmosphere may be dominated by gases.

fingers crossed

A phrase we say when we hope something good happens.

Example:
Scientists are waiting for more data—fingers crossed!

Quick Question

How long would it take to drive to the Sun at 100 km/h?

Choose one:

a) 70 years

b) 170 years

c) 1,700 years

Ask your student to guess before reading.

(Answer: c) around 1,700 years)

Reading

Could There Be Life on TRAPPIST-1e?

Scientists are always looking for life beyond Earth. One planet that interests them is called TRAPPIST-1e.

TRAPPIST-1e is outside our solar system. It is very far from Earth, but scientists believe it may be a potentially habitable planet.

This means it could possibly support life.

The planet is in what scientists call the habitable zone. This is the area around a star where temperatures may allow liquid water to exist. Water is important because all life on Earth needs it.

Scientists are studying the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e. They want to know if it has gases, clouds, or conditions that could support life.

Right now, they cannot confirm life exists there—but they also cannot rule it out.

Could there be plants? Tiny organisms? Or even aliens?

Nobody knows yet.

For now, scientists continue collecting data and learning more.

And like many people interested in space, they are keeping their fingers crossed.

Reading comprehension

Ask:

1. What is TRAPPIST-1e?

2. Why do scientists find it interesting?

3. What is the habitable zone?

4. Why is water important?

5. Can scientists confirm life there now?

6. What are scientists doing next?

Language in use

Could

We use could to talk about possibility.

Examples:

There could be life on another planet.

Humans could live there one day.

Aliens could exist somewhere in space.

Practice:

Complete:

TRAPPIST-1e __________ be habitable.

There __________ be water there.

Scientists __________ find life in the future.

Speaking practice

Discussion questions

Would you like to travel to space?

Would you live on another planet if you could?

What do you think aliens look like?

Do you think alien life is intelligent?

Why are humans interested in space?

Do you think we will find life in your lifetime?

Fun vocabulary – Describing aliens

Teach:

strange

intelligent

friendly

dangerous

small

giant

green

peaceful

mysterious

Ask:

What do you imagine aliens look like?

Example:

I imagine aliens are small and intelligent.
Maybe they have large eyes.
Maybe they live under the ground or in water.

Fill in the blanks

Use:

planet – aliens – habitable – water – star – zone – scientists

1. Earth is a __________.

2. The Sun is a __________.

3. Some people believe __________ exist.

4. TRAPPIST-1e may be __________.

5. Life needs __________.

6. It is in the habitable __________.

7. __________ are studying the planet.

Final task – Imagine life on another planet

Prompt:

Imagine you discover a new planet.

Answer:

What is the planet called?

Is it hot or cold?

Can people live there?

Are there aliens?

What do they look like?

Would you visit?

Example:

My planet is called Blue-X. It is very cold. There is water and ice. Small blue aliens live there. They are friendly and intelligent. I would visit the planet because it sounds beautiful.

Homework (optional)

Write 6–8 sentences:

“Do you think life exists on another planet? Why or why not?”

Try to use:

planet

alien

habitable

could

scientists

fingers crossed

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Searching for life on another planet

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212.2 - The Birth of Netflix and the Fall of Blockbuster

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Listen to this episode from American English Podcast on Spotify. In this episode, I'm taking you back to the 1990s and sharing what family movie nights were like growing up in suburban California. From browsing the aisles at Blockbuster with my family to ordering DVDs through Netflix for the very first time, we'll explore how entertainment changed almost overnight and how Netflix completely transformed the movie industry.

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Speaking While Thinking – A Practical Guide for Meetings & Presentations

Goal

To help you keep speaking in English even when you need time to think.

Remember:

You do not need the perfect sentence immediately.

Good communication is not about being perfect.

It is about:

staying calm

staying clear

keeping the conversation moving

1. How to start when you need a few seconds

Use these phrases to begin while you organize your thoughts.

Buy yourself time

Useful chunks

That’s a good question.

Let me think for a second.

Let me see…

Off the top of my head…

I’d say…

My first thought is…

If I think about it…

Example

Question: “What were the main results from the project?”

Answer:

That’s a good question. Let me think for a second… I’d say the main result was improving the delivery time.

2. How to organize your answer clearly

When ideas feel mixed, use structure words.

Useful chunks

First…

To start with…

The main point is…

Another thing is…

Also…

On top of that…

Finally…

Example

First, we reviewed the data. Then we identified the biggest issue. Finally, we proposed some solutions.

3. How to explain numbers and results

Very useful for presentations.

Useful chunks

The main result was…

What stands out most is…

We saw an increase in…

We noticed a decrease in…

Compared with last month…

Our target was…

We were able to achieve…

We’re still working on…

Example

What stands out most is the increase in sales in the last quarter.

4. How to recover when you lose your sentence

This is normal. Very normal.

Use these instead of stopping.

Useful chunks

Sorry—let me say that again.

Let me rephrase that.

What I mean is…

Maybe a better way to say it is…

I’m trying to say that…

Let me start over.

Example

Sorry, let me rephrase that. What I mean is the results were positive, but we still had some delays.

5. How to answer when you don’t know yet

Very useful in meetings.

Useful chunks

I don’t have that number right now, but I can check.

I’d need to look into that.

I don’t have the full picture yet.

That’s still under review.

I can follow up on that later.

I’m not sure yet, but we’re looking into it.

Example

I don’t have that information with me right now, but I can send it after the meeting.

6. How to transition to the next topic

Useful in presentations.

Useful chunks

Moving on to…

The next point is…

Now I’d like to talk about…

Let’s look at…

Another important point is…

Before we finish…

Example

Moving on to the next point, I’d like to talk about the timeline.

7. How to close confidently

Useful chunks

To sum up…

Overall…

In short…

The key takeaway is…

That’s where we are at the moment.

I’m happy to answer any questions.

Example

To sum up, we met our main goals and identified the next steps for the next quarter.

Mini practice for class

You can ask her to answer these using at least one chunk:

Practice 1

Tell me about a recent project.

Practice 2

What was the biggest challenge?

Practice 3

What were the results?

Practice 4

What are the next steps?

Final reminder for her

You can finish the class with this:

Before your next presentation

If you forget a word:
→ explain it another way

If you lose your sentence:
→ restart it

If you need time:
→ use a thinking phrase

If you don’t know:
→ say what you know

Most important:

Keep talking.

Clear communication is stronger than perfect grammar.

And in meetings, confidence often sounds like:

“Let me think…”

“What I mean is…”

“The main point is…”

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Speak More Confidently in English Meetings (36 Phrases You Can Use)

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How reading shapes your brain

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Can learning to read alter the way your brain works?

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Lead-in: “Professional English vs Textbook English”

Tell the student:

In international companies, communication is not only about grammar.
Clear structure, natural expressions, and confidence are essential.

Explain:
Native and fluent speakers use:

chunks

transition phrases

phrasal verbs

softening language

Presentation Chunks (Core Language)

Starting a Presentation

Teach and drill:

“Thanks everyone for being here today.”

“I’d like to walk you through the report.”

“Today I’ll be presenting the quarterly results.”

“Let me start with a quick overview.”

“I’ll break this presentation into three parts.”

this project/this presentation is divided into 4 waves

I would like to share with you important topics/results/concerns/ highlights

Moving Between Topics

“Let’s move on to the next point/ result/wave

“Now I’d like to focus on…”

“This brings us to remember that we cannot forget ....

“Before we continue, let’s quickly review…”

Explaining Information Clearly

“What this means is…”

“The main takeaway is…”

“What we noticed was…”

“One important point to highlight is…”

Finishing Professionally

“To wrap up…”/ to make short/ finally ....

“That covers the main points.”

“I’d be happy to answer any questions.”

“Thank you for your time.”

to finish we hope every project goes on track well and as expected.

Focus Vocabulary – 5 Phrasal Verbs for Work

Based on the BBC work-phrasal-verbs material.

1. Deal with

Meaning:

Handle or manage a situation/problem.

Example:

“Today I’ll deal with the budget concerns first.”

I need to deal with some demands first and later I will talk to you/ I will reach you/ I will make you a call.

Boardroom Context:

“We need to deal with customer complaints more efficiently.”

2. Bring forward

Meaning:

Move something to an earlier time.

Example:

“The meeting was brought forward to Monday.”

Presentation Context:

“I’d like to bring forward one important problem before we continue.”

3. Set up

Meaning:

Create or organize something.

Example:

“We set up a new reporting system.”

Presentation Context:

“Last year we set up a new strategy for international clients.”

4. Take on

Meaning:

Accept responsibility or extra work.

Example:

“Our team took on three new projects.”

Presentation Context:

“We took on additional responsibilities during Q2.”

5. Get back to

Meaning:

Reply later or return with information.

Example:

“I’ll get back to you after checking the numbers.”

Meeting Context:

“I don’t have that information now, but I’ll get back to you this afternoon.”

Controlled Practice (10–15 min)

Complete the Sentences

1. We had to _take on_____ a lot of new responsibilities this year. / I have to/ I need to/ I had to

2. I’ll _get back to_____ you after I confirm the figures.

3. The company _set up_____ a new office in Europe.

4. Let’s __deal with____ the sales problem first.

5. The meeting was _brought forward_____ to Friday morning.

Answers:

take on

get back to

set up

deal with

brought forward

Listening Stage (Using the Podcast/Video)

Before watching:
Ask the student to listen for:

transition language

phrasal verbs

professional tone

expressions used to organize ideas

While Watching

Student task:
Write down:

3 useful expressions

2 phrasal verbs

1 expression that sounds professional

After Watching Discussion

Questions:

Which expressions sounded natural?

Which phrases could you use at work?

Did the speakers sound formal or conversational?

Which phrasal verb was most useful?

Speaking Practice – Board Presentation Simulation

Situation

The student presents a short company update.

Instructions:

Include:

2 presentation chunks

2 phrasal verbs

one transition phrase

Example Structure

“Thanks everyone for joining today.
I’d like to walk you through this month’s results.
First, I’ll deal with sales performance in Latin America.
Then, I’ll move on to the operational challenges we faced.
During the last quarter, our team took on two major international projects…”

Fluency Activity – “Say It More Professionally”

Transform basic English into business English.

Basic:

“We changed the date.”

Better:

“We brought the meeting forward.”

Basic:

“I will answer later.”

Better:

“I’ll get back to you this afternoon.”

Basic:

“We started a system.”

Better:

“We set up a new reporting system.”

Real conversation in the cafeteria with a member of the Board.

Monique Hi, there Gustavo, what a surprise! you here?

Gustavo. hi, Monique well, work always calls me to the office.

monique/ tell me about it! just having this opportunity, about the project, we can talk about the new project, I and my team already started the project and I would like to know your opinion.

gustavo> okay, lets schedule a meeting with you and you bring me the updates.

Monique/ sounds good I will schedule the meeting and I will get back to you.

gustavo / okay then thank you and see you around.

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BBC Learning English - Quick English Lessons / 5 phrasal verbs for work

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George has some new vocabulary for the office.

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BBC Learning English - Work in the future / Does office design impact our work?

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Pippa and Phil talk about offices and how they are changing.

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🧠 Lesson Plan:

Memory & Being Forgetful

Objective:

Talk about memories and past experiences

Use remember / remind / mind correctly

Build fluency with personal stories

1. 🔥 Warm-up (5–7 min)

Simple questions:

Are you a forgetful person?

I think that before I wasn't so forgetful as I am now . I think I am aging and that is kind of normal.

What things do you forget often? (keys, names, passwords…)

passwords is very complicated to change the new ones.

i also forget the cellphone and I use the apple finder and I need to write on my agenda so I don't miss any event.

Do you like talking about the past?

yes, I like to talk about the past

👉 Follow-up:

What is a good memory from your childhood?

the playground/ the school/ my friends/

2. 🧠 Vocabulary Input (8–10 min)

Teach with examples + CCQs:

Memory → “I have a great memory for names.”

Forgetful → “I’m very forgetful. I forget my keys.”

Reminisce → “I like to reminisce with my friends.”

Memento → “I keep photos as mementos.”

Quick check:

Is a memento an object or a feeling? (object)

If you reminisce, are you talking about the future? (no)

3. 📥 Grammar Input: Remember / Remind / Mind (CORE)

Keep it simple and practical.

✅ 1.

REMEMBER

👉 Use: when YOU have a memory

“I remember my first school.”

“I remembered to call my mom.”

“I forgot to call her.” (contrast)

Pattern:

remember + noun → I remember that day

remember + to + verb → don’t forget obligation

remember + -ing → memory from the past

👉 Examples:

“I remembered to bring my keys.” (obligation)

“I remember meeting you.” (past memory)

✅ 2.

REMIND

👉 Use: when something/someone helps you remember

Pattern:

remind + person + to + verb

remind + person + of + thing

👉 Examples:

“Remind me to call my mom.”

“This song reminds me of my childhood.”

👉 Key idea:
➡️ You remind someone. You remember something.

✅ 3.

MIND

👉 Use: to ask about preference (polite)

Pattern:

Do you mind + -ing…?

👉 Examples:

“Do you mind opening the window?”

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

👉 Short answers:

“No, I don’t mind.” (OK 👍)

“Yes, I mind.” (Not OK ❌ — explain carefully!)

4. 🧩 Controlled Practice (10 min)

Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb

1. This photo ______ me of my childhood.

2. I always ______ to lock the door.

3. Can you ______ me to buy milk?

4. Do you ______ helping me?

Exercise 2: Complete

I remember ______ (visit) my grandmother.

Please remind me ______ (call) him.

Do you mind ______ (wait) here?

5. 🎧 Listening / Speaking (based on conversation)

Tell student:
“Two people are talking about memory and the past.”

First task:

Are they forgetful or organized?

Second task:

What kinds of memories do they talk about?

6. 🗣️ Speaking Practice (Main Production)

Activity 1: Personal questions

What do you remember about your first school?

Do you keep mementos? What kind?

What reminds you of your childhood?

Are you forgetful? Give examples.

Activity 2: Functional speaking

Roleplay:

Student A: forgetful person
Student B: helpful friend

Use:

“Remind me to…”

“Do you mind…?”

“I remember…”

7. 🎤 Fluency Task (Stronger push)

👉 Topic:
“Why do people like to remember the past?”

Encourage:

“I think people like to reminisce because…”

“For example…”

8. ✍️ Homework (optional)

Option 1 (easy):
Write 5 sentences:

2 with remember

2 with remind

1 with mind

Option 2 (personal):
Write about:
👉 “A memory I will never forget”

🧠 Teaching Tips

Students often confuse:
❌ I remind my childhood
✔️ I remember my childhood

Drill contrast clearly:
👉 “This reminds me of…”
👉 “I remember…”

With mind, emphasize meaning:
✔️ “Do you mind…?” = polite request

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(Photo: Getty)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Becca and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about memory - our ability to remember things from the past. Learn to talk about being forgetful, collecting mementos and reminiscing with friends.

Vocabulary

memory
general ability to remember things; specific experience you remember from the past

forgetful
not good at remembering things

reminisce
talk about happy memories from the past

memento
an object that helps you think of a particular memory

Transcript

Becca
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Becca.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. You can find a video version of this podcast with subtitles to help you learn on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Becca
Hi Georgie.

Georgie
Hello there.

Becca
How are you doing today?

Georgie
I'm pretty good, thank you. How are you?

Becca
Good. Yeah, I'm also pretty good. But I forgot my lunch today...

Georgie
No!

Becca
...which is a bit annoying. But today we are actually talking about forgetting things and memory, so it's a good topic...

Georgie
It is!

Becca
...for today's podcast!

Georgie
Yes. And memory is your ability to remember things. So, Becca, do you have a good memory?

Becca
I usually do. This morning - not so much. Yes, I usually do have an alright memory but it depends on what I'm trying to remember. So, I will remember experiences and people very well, but when it comes to tasks or things that I have to do for myself, I must write them down or I will forget them. I won't remember them.

Georgie
I'm a very forgetful person. I... Yes, everyone knows me to leave things in the house that I needed to bring or when I... For example, an umbrella - if I take that out, it will get lost 100%. So, I have a terrible memory.

Becca
So, you don't have a great memory, Georgie? Memory we use to talk about the ability to remember something, but we can also refer to things from the past - our memories from the past. So, do you have any great memories?

Georgie
I've got lots of good memories. I think the best memory I have was when I was about eight years old. I went to a concert. And I went to this concert with my dad, my best friend and her dad, and it was outside - a summer's day. It was, kind of, sunset time. We were both on our dads' shoulders, singing, dancing. And she has the exact same memory, so I know that it's... I know that it's real. It's not fake.

Becca
You didn't dream it.

Georgie
No, I didn't dream it. But that's one of my favourite memories. Yeah. What about you?

Becca
I remember my first ever, kind of, live music, concert experience as well was around the time of November 5th. And here in the UK, we often go to see fireworks. And it was the first time seeing fireworks.

Georgie
Wow.

Becca
So, yeah. And also my first time, like, seeing a band play on a stage and, yeah, it was a great experience. That's probably why we remember these things, because they do bring us so much happiness and joy when we talk about them.

Georgie
Yeah, exactly. Do you like to think about the past and memories? I know some people don't like to.

Becca
Mmm. Yeah, I do. I think it's really lovely to be able to remember - especially the good things from the past. How about you?

Georgie
Yeah, I like to... I like to reminisce and reminisce means that we talk about things from the past, about memories with happiness. And that's really fun to do, especially with childhood friends.

Becca
Yeah.

Georgie
When I meet up with friends from school, it's a lot of fun to, kind of, think about the good times from school and talk about people that we used to know. Yeah, reminiscing is a fun activity.

Becca
Yeah, I enjoy it too.

Georgie
So, we can talk about things from the past. But some people also like to keep things, collect things from the past - mementos. That's what those are called. Do you like to keep mementos?

Becca
I love to keep mementos.
Georgie
What kinds of things?

Becca
I... So, I started a collection of fridge magnets from my first solo adventure. And so, you know, I get to see those little mementos every day and I'm reminded all of the places that I've been. It's nice to look at these mementos, and then we reminisce.

Georgie
Yeah.

Becca
Let's recap the language that we learn in that conversation, starting with memory. So, memory is the ability to remember something. But we can also have memories. And memories are things that we remember from the past. For example, I have a lot of good memories from when I was a child.

Georgie
We also heard forgetful, which describes a person who does not have a very good memory. I am a forgetful person.

Becca
If we reminisce about something, we talk about our memories from the past - memories that make us happy.

Georgie
And we heard memento, which is an object which makes you think of a particular memory, place or event.

Becca
For example, I collect fridge magnets, which are a memento of all of the places that I've travelled to.

Georgie
And that's it for this episode of Real Easy English. We'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. And don't forget to test what you've learned with the worksheet on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Becca
And what would you like us to talk about on this podcast? You can send us a question at learningenglish@bbc.co.uk. Bye for now!

Georgie
Goodbye.

Now try this...

Watch The London Letter Challenge.

Download a free worksheet.

Discover more programmes for your level.

Find all our latest programmes.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about memory

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Becca and Georgie talk about our ability to remember things from the past

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Questions about the text

1. Basic understanding

How many days do people usually work in a traditional workweek?

Which two countries are mentioned in the text?

2. Vocabulary check

What does “stress” mean?

How do people feel when they are “calm”?

What is the difference between “organised” and “disorganised”?

What is a “supportive” workplace?

3. True or False

People feel more stressed in a four-day workweek.

Some companies in Brazil are testing shorter workweeks.

A supportive environment can help workers feel better.

Everyone agrees that a four-day workweek is perfect.

4. Personal opinion

Do you feel stressed in your daily routine? Why?

Do you prefer to be organised or disorganised?

Do you think a supportive boss is important? Why?

5. Discussion (speaking practice)

Would you like to work four days a week? Why or why not?

Do you think people in Dubai work too much?

Do you think this idea could work well in Brazil?

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🧑‍💼 Class Theme

Work and How We Feel About It HOMEWORK

Georgie: Do you like your job?
Becca: Yes, but sometimes I feel stressed.
Georgie: Why?
Becca: Because I have many tasks and little time.
Georgie: I understand. My job is calm, but sometimes I feel nervous in meetings.
Becca: Is your team supportive?
Georgie: Yes, they help me a lot.

👉 Ask:

Who feels stressed?

Who feels calm?

Why does Becca feel stressed?

💬 Controlled Practice (10 min)

Student answers:

I feel stressed when ______

I feel calm when ______

I feel nervous when ______

My work is (organised / disorganised) because ______

My environment is supportive because ______

🇧🇷 Brazil Discussion (Guided Argumentation – 15 min)

Now guide the student to build simple opinions about working hours in Brazil.

Step 1: Give structure

Teach simple opinion phrases:

“I think…”

“In my opinion…”

“For me…”

“Because…”

Step 2: Ask guided questions

Do people work a lot in Brazil?

Do people feel stressed or calm? Why?

Do you think working many hours is good or bad?

Step 3: Build argumentation (VERY IMPORTANT)

Help the student expand ideas:

👉 Model:

“I think people in Brazil work many hours because they need money. This can make people stressed.”

👉 Student practice:

I think working many hours is ______ because ______

I think shorter workdays are ______ because ______

People feel ______ because ______

🗣️

Working Hours: Are 4-Day Workweeks the Future?

Today, many people around the world are talking about working hours. In the past, a normal workweek was five days, usually from Monday to Friday. However, this is starting to change. Some companies and countries are testing a four-day workweek.

The idea is simple: people work fewer days, but they try to stay productive. Many workers say this helps them feel less stress. When people are less stressed, they can feel more calm and focused at work.

For example, in some countries, companies tested a four-day workweek and saw positive results. Workers were more organised, and they used their time better. They also had more time to rest, spend time with family, and take care of their health.

In Brazil, this idea is also becoming popular. Some companies are starting to test shorter workweeks. Many people believe this can improve quality of life. When workers are not too tired, they can do their jobs better and feel happier.

In places like Dubai, where many people work long hours, this idea is also interesting. A shorter workweek could help people who feel nervous or tired because of work pressure. Having more free time can help people relax and feel more balanced.

Another important factor is the work environment. A supportive workplace can make a big difference. When people feel supported by their managers and colleagues, they are less stressed and more confident.

However, not everyone agrees with the four-day workweek. Some people think it can be difficult for certain jobs, especially in industries that need constant service. Others worry that workers may feel more pressure to finish all their tasks in less time.

In conclusion, the four-day workweek is a growing trend. It may not be perfect for every job, but it shows that the world is changing. People want to work in a way that is healthier, more balanced, and less stressful.

What do you think? Would you prefer to work four days or five days a week? Why?

I live in Dubai in here they adopted 4 workdays, and interesting and but has a pressure for employees to finish their tasks and this can be sometimes very complicated and stressful for people's lives not only in Dubai but around the world.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about work

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Georgie and Becca talk about the jobs we do and the way we feel about them

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🎭 Lesson Theme: When You’re Not Sure What’s Happening

Level: Lower Intermediate (B1)

Grammar Focus:

seem + adjective

seem like + clause

(it) was / felt / looked as if / as though + clause

🔥 1. Warm-up (Lead-in Discussion – 8 minutes)

Ask:

Have you ever thought something was happening… but you were wrong?

Have you ever seen something strange in the street?

Have you ever misunderstood a situation?

Tell a quick mini example:

“One time, I saw two people arguing in the street. It seemed serious… but they were actually rehearsing a play.”

Now ask the student to share one short story.

🎥 2. Context Introduction (George & Phil)

Explain briefly:

George thought he was seeing a crime.

Phil thought a town was quiet — but he discovered a big festival.

Ask prediction questions:

Why might George think it was a crime?

Why might a quiet town suddenly feel different?

📚 3. Grammar Presentation

1️⃣ Seem + adjective

Structure:

Subject + seem(s) + adjective

Use when:
✔ You have a general impression
✔ You are not 100% sure

Examples:

The street seemed empty.

The man seemed nervous.

The town seemed quiet.

👉 Often turns out to be wrong.

Mini-check:
Change this:
“The restaurant is closed.” (but maybe not)

Student:
“The restaurant seems closed.”

2️⃣ Seem like + clause

Structure:

It seemed like + subject + verb

Use when:
✔ You give a more detailed interpretation

Examples:

It seemed like someone was following him.

It seemed like they were arguing.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Ask:
What’s the difference?

Guide them:

“seemed nervous” → general

“seemed like he was hiding something” → specific idea

3️⃣ As if / As though

Structure:

It was / felt / looked / seemed + as if / as though + clause

Use when:
✔ You describe how something appeared
✔ Often dramatic or strong impression

Examples:

It was as if they were hiding something.

It felt as though something bad was going to happen.

It looked as if it was about to rain.

👉 “As if” and “as though” = same meaning (as if is more common)

🧠 4. Controlled Practice (10–12 minutes)

A) Choose the correct form

1. The man ______ nervous.

2. It seemed like someone ______ following us.

3. It was as if they ______ planning something.

4. The town seemed ______ quiet.

(Answers: seemed / was / were / very)

B) Rewrite Using the Target Grammar

1. I thought it was going to rain.
→ It seemed as if it was going to rain.

2. Maybe she was angry.
→ She seemed angry.
→ It seemed like she was angry.

3. I had the impression he was lying.
→ It was as though he was lying.

🎭 5. Story Building Activity (Key Part – 15 minutes)

Give the student a situation:

Scenario 1:

You see two people running out of a shop quickly.

Student must say:

It seemed…

It seemed like…

It was as if…

Example answer:

It seemed suspicious.

It seemed like they had stolen something.

It was as if they were escaping from someone.

Scenario 2:

You arrive in a small town. Everything is silent. Suddenly loud music starts.

Student describes:

The town seemed…

It seemed like…

It was as though…

Push for creativity.

🗣 6. Personalisation – Real Life (10 minutes)

Ask:

Have you ever thought someone was angry but they weren’t?

Have you ever felt as if something bad was going to happen?

Has something ever seemed like a good idea… but wasn’t?

Encourage longer answers:

“I thought my boss was angry. She seemed upset. It seemed like she was disappointed with me. It was as though I had made a big mistake — but actually, she was just tired.”

✍️ 7. Mini Writing Task (Homework or Final 8 min)

Title:
A Time I Was Wrong

Write 6–8 sentences using:

1 × seem + adjective

1 × seem like

1 × as if / as though

🧩 8. Error Correction Drill (Quick Review)

Correct:

1. It seemed like he was nervous. (OK)

2. He seemed like nervous. ❌

3. It was as if she is crying. ❌

4. The movie seemed boring. (OK)

(Student corrects:
2 → He seemed nervous.
3 → It was as if she was crying.)

🎯 Lesson Outcome

By the end, your student should:

✔ Express uncertainty
✔ Describe impressions
✔ Tell short dramatic stories
✔ Understand subtle meaning differences

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BBC Learning English - Learning English Grammar / An interesting sight

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Learn language to use when you see something happening and you’re not sure what’s going on

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⏰ 60-Minute Lesson Structure

1️⃣ Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Start personally and lightly:

Do you procrastinate?

sometimes, but I prioritise things.

What tasks do you usually delay?

the boring tasks I delay.

Do you work better under pressure?

sometimes, I everyday I face pressure and I need take care of the details of the important information.

I need to check on the decisions, the payrolls and the system which is responsible for the payroll tasks.

Then introduce the research question:

According to research from DePaul University in Chicago, what percentage of people procrastinate so much that it interferes with daily life?

a) 10%
b) 20%
c) 30%

Ask her to guess and explain WHY.

This immediately checks:

Opinion structure

Speculation language

Confidence

Encourage phrases like:

I would guess…

I assume that…

I think it might be…

2️⃣ Vocabulary Input + Controlled Practice (15 minutes)

Introduce vocabulary gradually and naturally:

📌 Procrastination

Delaying tasks that must be done.

Ask:

Is procrastination always negative?

Can it sometimes be useful?

📌 Without a shadow of a doubt

Completely certain.

Ask:

Is there anything you do without a shadow of a doubt?

Encourage full sentence:
“I know without a shadow of a doubt that…”

📌 Under pressure

Feeling stressed because of responsibilities.

Ask:

Do you work better under pressure or with time?

Push explanation:
“Because when I’m under pressure…”

📌 Impulsive

Acting without thinking.

Ask:

Is procrastination impulsive?

Are you an impulsive person?

📌 Gratification

Feeling pleasure and satisfaction.

Explain:
Procrastination gives short-term gratification.

Ask:

Why do we choose short-term gratification over long-term success?

This question pushes her toward higher-intermediate thinking.

📌 Oodles of

A very large amount.

Ask her to create a sentence:
“I have oodles of…”

3️⃣ Listening/Concept Discussion (15 minutes)

Introduce the idea:

A comedian says he leaves everything until the last minute.

Ask:

Why would someone enjoy working at the last minute?

Is procrastination laziness or something else?

Is it fear of failure?

Now stretch her:

👉 If she’s lower B1:
Ask simple cause/effect questions.

👉 If she’s stronger:
Ask:

Could procrastination be linked to perfectionism?

Is it connected to anxiety?

Look for:

Complex sentences

Connectors (although, however, therefore)

4️⃣ Grammar Stretch (10 minutes)

Use conditionals naturally:

If you didn’t procrastinate, what would change in your life?

If people always worked immediately, would they be happier?

Have you ever procrastinated and then regretted it?

This checks:

Second conditional

Present perfect

Past simple contrast

5️⃣ Critical Thinking Discussion (10 minutes)

Statement:

👉 “Procrastination is a modern problem caused by technology.”

Agree or disagree?

Push her to justify:

Social media?

Instant gratification culture?

Dopamine?

If she handles abstract discussion comfortably → upper intermediate.

If she stays more concrete → solid B1.

6️⃣ Personal Reflection Closing

Ask:

What is one thing you’ve been procrastinating?

What small step could you take this week?

Why haven’t you done it yet?

End with:

“Do you think procrastination defines a person’s personality?”

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we procrastinate?

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Do you leave your work until the last minute?

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🎤 ENGLISH CLASS (B2 – HIGHER INTERMEDIATE)

Bad Bunny, Language, Identity & Politics at the Super Bowl

🎯 LESSON OBJECTIVES

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Analyse media headlines and tone

Discuss language and cultural identity critically

Use advanced vocabulary in context

Express balanced opinions about cultural controversy

Compare different media perspectives

1️⃣ WARM-UP (Discussion – 8–10 min)

Ask:

Should global events be performed only in English?

Is language political?

Can music be both entertainment and activism?

Should artists avoid politics in major events?

Board key idea:

Language = Culture = Power

2️⃣ CONTEXT: THE STORY

Students read:

The singer Bad Bunny made history by performing the Super Bowl half-time show almost entirely in Spanish.
The 14-minute set included only one line in English: “God Bless America.”
Some praised the performance as a message of pride and love for Puerto Rico.
Others called it “un-American,” and President Trump described it as “terrible.”
Recently, Bad Bunny became the first artist to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language album and was the most played artist on Spotify in 2025.

3️⃣ HEADLINE ANALYSIS (Media Literacy Focus)

Show the headlines:

BBC News
Bad Bunny makes history as Trump criticises 'terrible' Super Bowl show

The Guardian
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show review – a thrilling ode to Boricua joy

Financial Times
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show puts pizzazz before politics — but still irks Trump

Discussion Questions:

1. Which headline sounds neutral?

2. Which headline sounds positive?

3. Which headline suggests controversy?

4. What words show the writer’s attitude?

👉 Focus on tone and word choice.

4️⃣ KEY VOCABULARY (Core Focus)

1. Make history

To do something that has never been done before.

Example:
Bad Bunny made history by performing almost entirely in Spanish.

Discussion:
What other artists have made history?

2. Ode to

An artistic expression celebrating something.

Example:
The show was described as an ode to Boricua joy.

Ask:
What was the performance an ode to?

3. Pizzazz

Energy, style, excitement.

Example:
The performance had enormous pizzazz.

Ask:
Is pizzazz more important than political messaging?

4. Irk

To annoy or irritate.

Example:
The performance irked some political figures.

5. Un-American

Perceived as going against traditional American values.

Discuss:
Who decides what is “American”?

5️⃣ CONTROLLED PRACTICE

Complete the sentences:

1. The artist __________ when he performed in Spanish.

2. The show was an __________ Puerto Rican culture.

3. Some critics were __________ by the political symbolism.

4. The performance had style and __________.

5. The debate raised questions about what is considered __________.

6️⃣ CRITICAL DISCUSSION (Higher-Level Thinking)

Divide into small groups.

Debate Statements:

Performing in Spanish at the Super Bowl was a political act.

Cultural pride should not be controversial.

Major national events should represent linguistic diversity.

Music should focus on entertainment, not politics.

Students must:

Agree / disagree / partially agree

Give reasons

Use at least 3 vocabulary words

Encourage discourse markers:

On the one hand…

However…

From my perspective…

It could be argued that…

Nevertheless…

7️⃣ LANGUAGE & IDENTITY FOCUS

Ask:

Does speaking Spanish at an American event challenge national identity?

Is Puerto Rico culturally American?

Can language be seen as resistance?

Push students to develop complex responses.

8️⃣ EXTENDED SPEAKING TASK (Exam-Style B2/C1)

Prompt:

“Global events should reflect linguistic diversity rather than linguistic dominance.”

Students speak for 2–3 minutes.

Teacher evaluates:

Fluency

Vocabulary accuracy

Argument structure

Cohesion

9️⃣ WRITING OPTION (Homework)

Write 180–220 words:

“Was Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance cultural celebration or political statement?”

Students must:

Reference at least 2 headlines

Use 3 key vocabulary items

Present a balanced argument

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BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show

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Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show has divided opinion

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Lesson title

Food, Mood & Life Experience: Reviewing the Present Perfect

Level

Lower-intermediate (A2–B1)

Main grammar focus

✅ Present perfect (have / has + past participle)
– life experience
– recent changes
– effects on the present

Topic

Food, emotions, habits, and mental health

1️⃣ Warm-up (5–8 minutes) – Personal & easy

Teacher prompts (oral):

When you feel sad or stressed, what food do you usually eat?

Do you eat because you are hungry or because of your mood?

👉 Write 2 answers your student gives on the board.

Then introduce naturally:

“So, you have eaten food because of your emotions. That’s emotional eating.”

No grammar explanation yet — just exposure.

2️⃣ Vocabulary activation (8–10 minutes)

Use simple definitions + examples, not translation first.

Key vocabulary (from the programme)

emotional eating
Eating food because of feelings, not hunger
➝ I eat chocolate when I feel stressed.

appetite
The feeling that you want to eat
➝ I’ve lost my appetite when I’m anxious.

grab and go
Take food quickly, no time to sit
➝ I’ve grabbed a sandwich and eaten at my desk.

bananas (slang)
Silly or crazy
➝ People thought the idea was bananas.

roll your eyes
Show annoyance or disbelief
➝ He rolled his eyes when I talked about dieting.

patronising
Talking to someone like they are stupid
➝ The doctor has been patronising.

💡 Quick check
Ask:

Which word is positive?

Which words are negative?

Which words describe feelings?

3️⃣ Guided listening / reading focus (10 minutes)

You do not need the full audio. Use short excerpts.

Task 1 – Meaning first

Ask:

Why do people eat comfort food?

Why is emotional eating sometimes a problem?

Task 2 – Notice the grammar

Write these sentences on the board (adapted from the transcript):

People have linked food with mood.

Danny has suffered from depression.

Scientists have studied the connection between food and mood.

Her ideas have not been accepted by everyone.

Ask:

Are we talking about yesterday, last week, or life experience?

👉 Lead them to: experience / changes / results now

4️⃣ Present Perfect Review – Clear & simple (10 minutes)

Form (keep it light)

have / has + past participle

I have eaten

She has studied

They have felt better

Use it for this lesson:

1. Life experience

Have you ever eaten because you felt sad?

2. Changes

My eating habits have changed.

3. Present result

I’ve eaten junk food, so I feel tired now.

⚠️ Contrast briefly (no deep dive):

Past simple = when

Present perfect = experience / result

5️⃣ Controlled practice (8 minutes)

Exercise A – Choose the correct option

1. I have eaten / ate chocolate when I feel stressed.

2. She has lost / lost her appetite recently.

3. People have become / became more interested in food and mood.

👉 Correct together, ask why.

Exercise B – Finish the sentence

Give sentence starters:

I’ve eaten __________ when I felt stressed.

I’ve grabbed __________ when I had no time.

I’ve felt better after __________.

6️⃣ Speaking practice – Personal but safe (10 minutes)

Guided questions (present perfect)

Have you ever eaten because of stress or sadness?

Have you noticed that food has changed your mood?

Have you ever lost your appetite because of stress?

Have you tried eating healthier food to feel better?

Encourage follow-up:

Really?

How did you feel?

Why do you think that happened?

7️⃣ Natural wrap-up (5 minutes)

Recap together

Ask the student to complete orally:

Today I’ve learned that __________.

I’ve realised that food __________ my mood.

I’ve used the present perfect to talk about __________.

Finish with:

“So today, you’ve connected grammar, food, and real life — well done.”

Optional homework (simple & meaningful)

Writing (6–8 sentences):

Write about your food habits and emotions. Use the present perfect at least 4 times.

Example model:

I’ve eaten chocolate when I felt stressed. I’ve noticed that healthy food has made me feel better. I haven’t changed my diet completely, but I’ve started thinking more about food and mood.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food and mood

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We look at the link between what you eat and how you feel.

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BBC Learning English - Learning English Grammar / What have you been up to?

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This week, Beth’s been decorating her house and Neil’s been to a party!

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🗣️ Speaking Class: “Afraid to Speak English?”

Level: Lower-Intermediate
Main skill: Speaking
Secondary skills: Listening, vocabulary, confidence
Time: 45–60 minutes

1️⃣ Warm-up: Personal connection (5–8 min)

👉 Goal: make the student feel safe + start speaking immediately

Ask simple, open questions (one at a time):

😬 Do you feel nervous when you speak English?

🗣️ When do you feel MORE nervous?

with friends

with strangers

at work / in class

❌ What are you afraid of?

making mistakes

pronunciation

people judging you

👉 Follow-up prompts (very important for speaking):

Why?

Can you give me an example?

How do you feel in your body? (hands, heart, voice)

2️⃣ Lead-in to the topic (BBC context) (5 min)

Say something like:

“Many people feel nervous speaking English — even people who are GOOD at English.”

Then ask:

🤔 Do you think good English speakers can feel anxiety too? Why?

☕ How do you feel when you order food or coffee in English?

(Connect directly to the barista story.)

3️⃣ Vocabulary – Speaking first, not memorizing (8–10 min)

Present only the most useful words, with examples the student can relate to:

Key vocabulary (with guided speaking)

pretty = quite / a bit
👉 Are you pretty confident in English or pretty nervous?

relate to
👉 Do you relate to Hanan’s story? Why?

anxiety/ anxious adj.
👉 What gives you anxiety in English? Speaking, listening, or pronunciation?

irrational beliefs (simplify!)
👉 Do you think “I must speak perfectly” is a good belief or an irrational belief?

believe/ I believe I can fly, this is my belief.

self-perception
👉 How do you see yourself when you speak English? Confident or shy?

internal
👉 Is your fear internal (inside you) or external (people)?

⚠️ Tip: Let the student answer freely. Don’t correct every mistake.

4️⃣ Guided discussion (main speaking task) (15–20 min)

Use scaffolded questions → easy ➜ deeper.

Part A – Personal experience

🗣️ Tell me about a time you felt nervous speaking English.

😓 What happened?

🧠 What were you thinking at that moment?

Part B – Reflection

👀 Do people really judge your mistakes? Or is it more in your head?

🔄 Do you make mistakes in your own language? Is that a problem?

Part C – Opinion

💡 Do you agree with this sentence? Why or why not?

“Mistakes are necessary to learn a language.”

5️⃣ Quiz discussion (speaking, not testing) (5 min)

Ask before revealing the answer:

📊 How many words do YOU think people use in daily English?
a) 2,000–3,000
b) 20,000–30,000
c) 200,000–300,000

Follow-up:

😲 Are you surprised by the answer?

💭 Does this number make you feel more confident or more nervous? Why?

👉 Key takeaway:

“You don’t need ALL the words. You need confidence with the words you have.”

6️⃣ Confidence-building speaking task (role play) (8–10 min)

🎭 Role play (very effective)

Situation options (choose ONE):

Ordering coffee ☕

Introducing yourself at work 👋

Asking for help in a shop 🛍️

Rules:

✅ Fluency > accuracy

❌ No interrupting

🧠 Focus on message, not perfection

After:

How did you feel?

Was it easier than you expected?

7️⃣ Wrap-up reflection (5 min)

End with positive awareness:

Ask the student to complete:

🌱 Today I learned that…

💬 One thing I want to improve in speaking is…

💪 One thing I do well in English is…

⭐ Teacher tip (important for this topic)

Correct after the student finishes speaking

Praise effort, not accuracy

Normalize fear: “This feeling is very common.”

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Scared of speaking English?

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Beth and Pippa talk about why we often find speaking a new language scary.

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🧠 MAIN IDEA

In English, people don’t always mean exactly what they say 😅

Sometimes they:

exaggerate ➕ (hyperbole)

minimise ➖ (understatement)

Context + culture = meaning 🧩

🔥 HYPERBOLE (exaggeration)

Saying something bigger than reality for humour or emphasis

📌 Examples:

“I could eat a horse” 🐎 → I’m very hungry

“Absolute nightmare!” 😫 → Something annoying or stressful

“I’ve had a mare” 🇬🇧 → I had a bad / strange day

👉 Not really terrible — just exaggerated

👋 “ALRIGHT?” (VERY BRITISH 🇬🇧)

“Alright?”

“You alright?”

💡 Meaning: Hello

❌ Not a real question

❌ They don’t want your life story 😄

🇺🇸 In the USA:

“Are you alright?” = real concern 😟

👉 Best answer in the UK:

“Alright.” ✅

🇬🇧 UNDERSTATEMENT (British style)

Saying something small when it’s actually big

🍽 Bad food:

“It was less than perfect” 😐
➡️ Real meaning: It was awful 🤢

❄️ Very cold:

“A bit chilly”
➡️ It’s freezing 🥶

💡 British culture:

Not taking yourself too seriously = polite 👍

Being too dramatic = not great 👀

🙇 APOLOGIES & HIDDEN MEANINGS

Someone says:

“It’s all good” 🇬🇧
➡️ Meaning: I’m slightly annoyed… but let’s move on 😬

“No worries” 🇺🇸
➡️ Meaning: It’s fine, really 😊

🧠 Word to know:

miffed 😒 = a little annoyed

💥 “BARNEY”

a barney 🗣🔥
➡️ A loud argument or fight

People avoid barneys in the UK, so they stay polite 😌

🧾 KEY VOCABULARY (quick recap)

mare 😖 → a bad or annoying experience

take yourself too seriously 🤵 → think you’re very important

a no-no 🚫 → not socially acceptable

the done thing ✅ → what people expect you to do

miffed 😠 → slightly annoyed

barney 💢 → loud argument

💬 DISCUSSION (easy level)

🗨 Have you ever said something was a “nightmare” but it wasn’t serious?

Yes sometimes, I use the word nightmare when I emphasise something I speak about or that I want to exaggerate. sometimes I am tired to repeat more than 2 times to be heard.

🗨 In your culture, do people exaggerate or minimise problems?

Brazil is an exaggerated country, they can cry on a presentation, and when they pass an information, sometimes they can faint in front of you.

🗨 Is British understatement polite or confusing for you?

sometimes is confusing because is very different daily and we refer to things very differently.

🗨 What would you say instead of “It’s all good” in your language

relaxa / ta bom ta bom /

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
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Introduction

We've all been there - we're talking to someone and they say one thing, when we know they mean something else! British people love to play with language, using it deliberately to disguise, misdirect or even change their meaning entirely. But why do we do it? And what are some of the common things to look out for? Pippa and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

The word hyperbole comes from two ancient Greek words: huper and ballo. What is their literal meaning?

a) to overthrow
b) to over speak
c) to overthink

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

mare (short for nightmare)
unpleasant or difficult experience

take yourself too seriously
consider yourself and your actions as more important than they really are

no-no
thing or way of behaving that is not socially acceptable

the done thing
what you are expected to do in a particular social situation

miffed
slightly annoyed by someone's behaviour towards you

barney
loud argument or quarrel
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Pippa
Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Pippa.

Beth
And I'm Beth. In English, what we say and what we mean are sometimes two very different things. We often use exaggeration for emphasis or for humour - something known as hyperbole. For example, people say, "I am so hungry I could eat a horse," but of course no one really could. Here's presenter Michael Rosen and linguist Derek Bousfield discussing one example of hyperbole on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth:

Michael Rosen
People do say, "Absolute nightmare!"

Derek Bousfield
Yeah, or as my daughters would say, "I've had a mare today." And when they say mare, which is obviously shortened from 'nightmare', what it basically means is they've had a mild and potentially slightly humorous occurrence at work.

Pippa
You might call an unpleasant or difficult experience 'a nightmare'. Derek's daughter used the word mare, short for 'nightmare', to describe her terrible day at work. But she was exaggerating. Her day wasn't really terrible - more like strange or annoying. Can you remember a time when what you said wasn't really what you meant, Beth?

Beth
Well, sometimes we say, "Hi, y'alright?" which means: "Hi, are you alright?" like, "Are you OK?" But actually, we don't really want to hear the answer. It just means 'hello', doesn't it?
Pippa
Mmm, yeah. I have a friend who actually just says, "Alright?" and they just mean, "Hello." They don't mean, "Are you OK?" They don't want to hear about my day.

Beth
No. If you're having a bad day, they don't want to know. They're just saying hello. In this episode, we'll be finding out more about how the meaning of words changes in English. As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. And remember, you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Pippa
But first, I have a question for you, Beth. The word hyperbole comes from two ancient Greek words: huperandballo.But what is their literal meaning? Is it:

a) to overthrow,
b) to over speak, or
c) to overthink?

Beth
I have no idea, Pippa. I'm going to say to over speak.

Pippa
OK. We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. It's not just hyperbole that changes the meaning of words. Its opposite, something called understatement, has the same effect too. Understatement involves de-emphasising something. For example, imagine you were served an awful meal in a restaurant, but instead of saying how bad the food was, you just said, "It was less than perfect." Here's linguist Derek Bousfield discussing understatement on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth.

Dr Derek Bousfield
We love understatement as a way of, kind of, signalling that something much more serious has gone on. And it's a kind of performative, sardonic, not-taking-oneself-too-seriously identity when you do that, because, you know, taking yourself too seriously is a no-no in British culture.

Michael Rosen
Yes.
Derek Bousfield
And so, linguistically, not taking yourself too seriously is really the done thing.

Beth
Understatement is valued in British culture, unlike taking yourself too seriously. If you take yourself too seriously, you think you're more important than you really are. In Britain, this is a no-no - a way of behaving that is not socially acceptable. In other words, it's not the done thing, meaning it's not what you're expected to do in a particular social situation.

Pippa
Another area where the meaning of words can be easily misunderstood is apologising. Here, Michael Rosen responds to an imaginary situation where his toe gets accidentally stepped on by Derek Bousfield, for BBC Radio 4 programme Word of Mouth:

Derek Bousfield
Imagine I stepped on your toe and I said, "Oh, Michael, I'm really sorry." And you said, "It's all good."

Michael Rosen
Oh, right. That probably means it isn't.

Derek Bousfield
Yeah!

Michael Rosen
Yes, I'm actually a bit miffed, a little bit annoyed, but then I don't want to have a barney with you. You're a stranger, so I don't want to get into a whole thing, so I say, "Yeah... it's all good."

Derek Bousfield
"It's all good." Exactly. It's a bit like... I mean, that's a British English one - an equivalent American English one would be: "No worries."

Beth
If someone tells you, "It's all good," they could actually be feeling miffed - an adjective meaning slightly annoyed or hurt by someone's behaviour.

Pippa
But no matter how annoyed you are, you probably don't want to get into a barney - a loud argument or quarrel. So, you say something like, "It's all good," or, "No worries," and move on.

Beth
As an English learner, unclear word meanings are a challenge. A lot depends on the situation and on the relationship between speaker and listener. So, don't be shy! Get talking to others in English and if you make a mistake say, "No worries!" and carry on. OK. Pippa, I think it's time to reveal the answer to your question.

Pippa
Yes, you thought the ancient Greek words huper and ballo meant over speak, but the answer was actually a) to overthrow - huper means beyond, and ballo means I throw.

Beth
Oh well! OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt, starting with mare, short for nightmare, meaning an unpleasant or difficult experience.

Pippa
If you take yourself too seriously,you consider yourself and your actions more important than they really are. In Britain, this is a no-no - a way of behaving that is not socially acceptable.

Beth
The done thing, on the other hand, is what you are expected to do in a particular social situation.

Pippa
If you're miffed, you're slightly annoyed by someone's behaviour.

Beth
And finally, a barney is a loud argument or quarrel. Once again, our six minutes are up but if you're keen to practise these new words and phrases, then check out our website, bbclearningenglish.com, where you'll find a worksheet and quiz for this episode. See you again soon. But for now, goodbye!

Pippa
Bye!

Next

Find an A-Z list of our programmes.

To learn English from news headlines, listen to Learning English from the News.

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What English phrases really mean

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Why don't British people say what they mean, or mean what they say?

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📘 Class: Talking About Plans & Goals for 2026

Based on: Neil & Georgie’s real conversation (Easy English)

Main focus: Future intentions, reflection, vocabulary

Skills: Listening-style reading, speaking, personal expression

Length: 60 minutes

1️⃣ Warm-up: Thinking About the New Year (5–8 minutes)

Ask the student:

Do you usually make New Year’s resolutions?

about my professional life I do new years resolutions because I need to create goals for me and my team. I really need this.

Do you think resolutions really work? Why / why not?

it depends, the attitude towards to performance and the commitment of the team is really important for the resolutions.

How do you usually feel at the start of a new year: motivated or unsure?

i am motivated because when I start the year I feel good to learn new ways, new places , new people I like that!

👉 Encourage short answers first, then expand.

2️⃣ Key Vocabulary (Pre-teach)

Introduce the words before reading.

🔑 Vocabulary

New Year’s resolutions
Promises you make at the start of the year to start doing something good, or stop doing something bad.

Goal
Something you want to achieve.

Motivated
Wanting to do something, and therefore more likely to actually do it.

Wish your life away
To think too much about the future instead of enjoying the present.

🗣️ Quick Practice

Ask the student to complete:

One of my goals for 2026 is __________.

I feel motivated when __________.

Sometimes people wish their life away because __________.

3️⃣ Reading: Neil and Georgie Talk About 2026 (10–12 minutes)

📖 Reading Text

Neil: So, Georgie, do you usually make New Year’s resolutions?

Georgie: Not really. I like having goals, but I don’t like putting too much pressure on myself.

Neil: I understand that. I often start the year feeling very motivated, but it’s hard to stay motivated all year.

Georgie: Exactly. I think it’s important to enjoy the present and not wish your life away.

Neil: That’s true. Still, I do like planning. For 2026, I want to focus on my health and learn something new.

Georgie: That sounds good. My goal is to have better balance — work, rest, and time for myself.

Neil: So maybe it’s not about big resolutions, but small, realistic goals.

Georgie: Yes, goals that help you enjoy life now and in the future.

4️⃣ Comprehension & Reflection (8–10 minutes)

Ask open questions:

1. Why doesn’t Georgie like New Year’s resolutions?

2. What problem does Neil have with motivation?

3. What does “wish your life away” mean in this conversation?

4. Do Neil and Georgie agree or disagree about goals?

5️⃣ Language Focus: Talking About Plans (10 minutes)

Highlight useful structures from the text:

🧩 Structures

I want to…

My goal is to…

I would like to…

I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself.

I want to focus on…

✏️ Controlled Practice

Complete the sentences:

1. In 2026, I want to be more dedicated and improve my English skills for my job and for my personal life.

2. One goal I have is to be rich and be healthier with my life__________.

3. I don’t want to work anymore because _i feel that I am turning a workaholic and I need to stop_________.

4. I feel more motivated when know another culture and other places I like that

5. I need to travel more to salvador and pay a visit to my family and have my yummy acaraje _________.

6️⃣ Speaking Practice: Personal Goals (Main Activity)

🗣️ Guided Speaking

Ask the student to talk about:

One personal goal for 2026

One professional or study goal

One habit they want to change

One thing they want to enjoy more in the present

Encourage full sentences and follow-up questions:

Why is that important to you?

How do you plan to do it?

What could stop you?

it is important the quality of life, the time to do something things we like to do, and have some time to relax and disconnect. so I promise to myself to follow my goals and resolutions this 2026.

7️⃣ Reflection Activity: Balance & Mindset (5–8 minutes)

Ask:

Do you think people today focus too much on the future?

How can someone have goals without wishing their life away?

What helps you stay motivated?

8️⃣ Optional Writing / Homework

✍️ Short Writing (120–150 words):

My Goals and Plans for 2026

Include:

At least 3 goals

One sentence with motivated

One sentence with wish your life away

9️⃣ Extension (Optional – Higher Level)

To challenge stronger students:

Ask them to compare resolutions vs goals

Introduce “realistic expectations” and “long-term habits”

Have them role-play a conversation like Neil and Georgie’s

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about New Year’s resolutions

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Neil and Georgie talk about their plans and goals for 2026.

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💬 Intermediate Class: Is Gossiping Good or Bad?

1️⃣ Warm-Up Questions (Easy)

Ask your student:

Do you gossip with friends or coworkers?

Do you think gossip is a good thing or a bad thing?

Why do people gossip?

2️⃣ Grammar Focus: Speculation + Reported Speech (Simplified)

🔹 MAY / MIGHT for guessing (present & future)

We use may or might to say a guess — something we are not sure about.

She might be sick. (= maybe she’s sick)

They may come later. (= maybe they will come)

🔹 MAY HAVE / MIGHT HAVE for guessing about the past

Use this when you guess about something that already happened:

He may have forgotten his keys.

She might have missed the bus.

🔹 Reported speech (say what someone said)

We change the sentence one step back in time:

“I’m tired.” → She said she was tired.

“I want a new phone.” → He said he wanted a new phone.

🔹 Direct quotes (exact words)

You repeat the exact sentence:

She said, “I’m so busy today.”

**📘 3️⃣ Reading :

“Is Gossiping a Good or Bad Thing?”**

People gossip everywhere — in offices, in families, and even with friends at lunch. Some people say gossip is a bad habit. Others think it may actually be something positive. But which idea is true?

First, gossip can help people feel close. When we share a small story like, “She might be nervous today,” or “He may be excited about something,” we are trying to understand each other. A psychologist said gossip is a natural way for humans to connect. She said, “People often gossip to feel part of a group.”

But gossip can also cause problems. My friend told me about her workplace. One person said, “Tom said he may leave the company.” After a few days, many coworkers were saying, “Tom might be looking for a new job,” even though nobody really knew the truth. Later, Tom explained he never said he wanted to leave. He said he was simply tired that week.
The story grew bigger because people kept guessing and repeating it.

Gossip can also change small comments into big stories. Last month, a coworker said, “I might have a meeting with the boss.” Later, people reported it as: “She said she will be promoted.”
But she didn’t say that at all.

So, is gossip good or bad? It might be both. Gossip may help people understand each other and feel connected. But it may also create confusion or hurt someone if the information is not true.
Maybe the best rule is simple: think carefully before repeating something you heard.

4️⃣ Comprehension Questions

1. What are two reasons why people gossip?

2. How can gossip help people feel close?

3. What did people say about Tom?

4. Why was the rumor about Tom not true?

5. How can small comments become big stories?

6. According to the text, when is gossip dangerous?

7. What is the “best rule” the text suggests?

5️⃣ Discussion (Easy Questions)

Do you think gossiping is mostly helpful or mostly harmful?

Have you ever heard a rumor that was not true?

How can people avoid problems caused by gossip?

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BBC Learning English - Learning English Grammar / Gossip

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How can you talk about things that may or not be true?

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🧠 Present Perfect – Explanation for Students

The Present Perfect is used to talk about:

1️⃣ Life experiences (no specific time)

We use it to say if something has happened at any time in your life — but we don’t say when.

I have visited Spain.

She has never tried sushi.

We focus on the experience, not the time.

2️⃣ Actions that started in the past and continue now

We use have/has + past participle to show something is still true until now.

Usually with for (duration) or since (start time):

I have lived in Brazil for five years.

He has worked here since 2020.

3️⃣ Recent events with a result now

We use it when something just happened and has an effect in the present.

She has lost her keys. (She can’t open the door now.)

We have finished the report. (It is ready.)

Words like just, already, yet often appear.

📘 Short Reading: “The New Stadium Experience”

Read the text and notice the Present Perfect verbs.

Lucas loves basketball, and this year he has followed every game of his favorite team. He has watched matches on TV, he has listened to games on the radio, and he has even travelled to other cities to support the players.

Today, Lucas is feeling especially excited. His city has opened a new stadium, and he and his friends have bought tickets for the very first match. The atmosphere is incredible. Thousands of fans have arrived early to see the place.

Lucas looks around and says, “I have never seen a stadium this big! The design is amazing.”
His friend Marta agrees: “Yes! And they have added new seats, new lights, and a huge screen. It looks great.”

The game hasn’t started yet, but the crowd is already cheering. Some fans have painted their faces, others have preparedbanners, and everyone feels excited. Lucas smiles and says, “I have been a fan of this team for many years, but tonight feels special.”

✔️ Comprehension Check

1. What new place has opened in the city?

2. What activities has Lucas done to follow the team this year?

3. Why is this night special for Lucas?

4. What has the stadium added?

5. What have the fans done to show support?

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Class: Watching Sports – Vocabulary & Pronunciation Review

1. Warm-up (3–5 min)

Ask your student:

Do you like watching sports?

Do you prefer watching sports live, on TV, or online?

Describe a memorable sports moment you’ve seen.

2. Vocabulary Review & Pronunciation (10 min)

Target Vocabulary

1. crowd – /kraʊd/ – a large group of people

2. atmosphere – /ˈætməsfɪr/ – the general feeling or mood at an event

3. drama – /ˈdrɑːmə/ – an exciting or emotional experience

4. nail-biting – /ˈneɪlˌbaɪtɪŋ/ – tense; causing anxiety and excitement

Pronunciation Drills

Repeat each word 3 times:

crowd → “cr” blend + “ow” sound

atmosphere → focus on ATM-uh-sfeer

drama → stress on DRA-ma

nail-biting → two words connected NAIL-BI-ting

Sentence Pronunciation

Have the student repeat:

“The crowd was cheering loudly.”

“The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing.”

“There was so much drama in the last minute.”

“The game was nail-biting until the final second.”

3. Short Reading (5–6 min)

Ask the student to read aloud. Then check comprehension.

Reading:

The Championship Weekend

Last Saturday, Beth and Neil decided to go to the city stadium to watch the final game of the basketball championship. They arrived early, but a large crowd was already waiting outside. Some people were wearing team jerseys, others were carrying snacks, and everyone seemed excited. Beth looked around and said, “Wow, this crowd is huge! It feels like the whole city is here.”

When they entered the stadium, the atmosphere immediately changed. Lights were flashing, music was playing, and fans were shouting the names of their favorite players. Neil smiled and said, “I love this atmosphere. It’s impossible not to feel the energy.” Even before the game started, the atmosphere made them feel like something big was about to happen.

The game began fast, and from the first minute, there was a lot of drama. One team scored quickly, but the other team responded with an even better play. Every few minutes, something surprising happened. A player slipped, another made an incredible shot, and the coaches kept shouting instructions. Beth whispered, “There’s so much drama tonight. I can’t stop watching!”

Halfway through the second half, the game became really nail-biting. The score was almost equal, and both teams were fighting for every point. The crowd stood up, shouting and clapping. The players looked tired but focused. Neil said, “This is getting nail-biting. I can’t believe how close the score is.”

In the last minute, the atmosphere became even more intense. Everyone held their breath. One team had the ball, and they only needed one more point to win. Beth felt her heart beating fast. The whole crowd was silent for a moment, and then—boom! The final shot went in. The stadium exploded with noise. People hugged, jumped, and waved their arms. The drama finally ended, and the winning team ran across the court celebrating.

As Beth and Neil left the stadium, they both felt happy and tired. “What a night,” Neil said. “The crowd, the atmosphere, the drama… everything was perfect.” Beth nodded and added, “And that last minute? So nail-biting! I loved it.”

omprehension Questions

General Understanding

1. Where did Beth and Neil go last Saturday?

2. Why was the crowd already waiting outside the stadium?

3. How did the atmosphere change when they entered the stadium?

4. What made the beginning of the game full of drama?

5. Why did the game become nail-biting in the second half?

6. What happened in the last minute of the game?

7. How did the crowd react when the final shot went in?

8. How did Beth and Neil feel after the game ended?

Vocabulary in Context

9. What does crowd refer to in the story?

10. How would you describe the atmosphere in the stadium?

11. What moments created drama during the match?

12. Why was the ending considered nail-biting?

5. Vocabulary in Context – Practice (10 min)

A. Fill in the blanks

Use: crowd / atmosphere / drama / nail-biting

1. The ________ in the stadium felt electric.

2. A ________ waited outside the gates.

3. The last moment of the game was very ________.

4. There was a lot of ________ during the match.

B. Personal connection (speaking)

Ask:

Have you ever been in a big crowd? Where?

Describe the atmosphere of your favorite sports event.

What is the most dramatic moment you’ve seen in sports?

What is a nail-biting situation you experienced?

6. Pronunciation Challenge (2 min)

Practice minimal pairs:

crowd → cloud / cried

atmosphere → sphere / fear

drama → trauma / llama

nail → male / bail

biting → writing / fighting

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CLASS: Watching Sports – Crowds, Atmosphere & Nail-Biting Drama

Level: Lower Intermediate

Length: 60 minutes

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask your student:

Do you watch sports? Which ones?

yes I do. I watch tennis with Renan because he likes it and maybe soccer with Renan.

Do you like watching sports live at a stadium or on TV?

i don't like stadiums because there are a lot of people in one place all together and screaming and I feel very little. so, I prefer watching tv at home.

Have you ever been in a big crowd? How did it feel?

yes I have been in big crowds and I felt pretty bad.

2. Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Teach the four words:

crowd – a large group of people

Example: The crowd shouted loudly in the stadium.

everytime I see a crowd at the beach I try to walk more distant so I can enjoy the silence.

adj> crowded, the beach is crowded/ I avoid to go to the shopping mall at Christmas because it is pretty/too/very/fucking crowded.

atmosphere – the general feeling or mood

Example: The atmosphere at the game was very exciting.

when I entered the house I felt the atmosphere too heavy so I walked away.

drama – exciting or emotional events

Example: There was a lot of drama in the final match.

there was too much drama in the soap opera. *novela

there was too much drama at the family meeting.

there were a lot of people making drama to buy cosmetics for lower prices.

nail-biting – very tense and exciting; makes you feel nervous

Example: The last minutes of the game were nail-biting.

after the interview I was nail biting waiting for the results.

Activity:

Ask the student to make one simple sentence with each word.

3. Reading (10 minutes)

Give the student a simple summary of the dialogue:

Beth and Neil talk about watching sports. Neil watched football live at a stadium. Beth likes gymnastics and usually watches it on TV. They discuss if it’s better to watch sports live or on TV. They mention the crowd, the atmosphere, dramatic moments, and nail-biting finishes.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What sport did Neil watch?

2. He watch a football match.

3. What sport does Beth enjoy?

4. She enjoy gymnastic.

5. Does Beth prefer watching gymnastics live or on TV?

6. She prefer watch on Tv because Gymnastics is a sport where there's lots of individual.

7. What exciting match did Neil see?

8. He saw a really exciting cricket match.

9. What does “nail-biting” mean?

10. something that makes you nervous and anxious.

4. Language for Preferences (10 minutes)

Teach or review these simple structures:

I prefer watching games at a stadium because the atmosphere is very nail biting.

i prefer watch on tv because i hate crowded places.

I enjoy watching gymnasts live on tv because Its better to concentrate.

i enjoy watinhg tennis game on tv.

It’s better to…

it's better to watch TV some games is very individual and have much deteails.

The atmosphere is very nail bitting when the champions carry the trophy.

The atmosfere is the general feeling or mood .

There was / There is…

There was parking in the stadium. There is the best player on game.

Practice:

Ask the student to complete these sentences:

1. I prefer watching sports ______ because ______.

2. The atmosphere at a stadium is exciting.______.

3. A sport I enjoy watching is _tennis game._____.

4. The most nail-biting moment I remember was _finals of the matches with Djokovic____.

5. Speaking Practice (10 minutes)

Use these prompts to make the student speak:

Have you ever watched a live game? Describe the crowd and atmosphere. Yes. i watch the football game.

the crowd was excited and happy. the atmosphere was a great.

Have you seen a nail-biting moment in a sport or move?

yes, movies make me feel that.

Do you like drama in sports? Why or why not?

No. i don't like. because is normal lost the game.

Do your friends or family enjoy watching sports with you? Yes, but generally my boyfriend enjoy more!

Optional:

Role-play: You are Beth, your student is Neil. Ask each other if you prefer watching sports live or on TV.

6. Focus on the Transcript (10 minutes)

Choose these lines from the transcript:

“The atmosphere – you can’t beat. And it’s definitely not the same at home.”

“The cricket match was so nail-biting. It was very exciting and made me feel nervous.”

Activity:

Have the student identify the vocabulary words in the sentences.

Ask the student to rewrite the sentences in their own words.
Example: The atmosphere was amazing. Watching at home is not the same.

7. Final Task (5–8 minutes)

Ask your student to speak for one minute:

“Talk about a sport you like watching. Mention the crowd, the atmosphere, the drama, and a nail-biting moment if possible. Also say whether you prefer watching it live or on TV.”

VITORIA VS. BAHIA

The experience watching the match Bahia against Vitoria is very nail bitting because the atmosphere is powerful and the crowd is in love with their teams, and they shout and yell their favourite soccer players for love and hate at the same time, the experience is unique and very emotional for your soul.

Give corrections and feedback.

8. Homework (optional)

Ask the student to write 80–100 words about:

“Describe the most exciting sports moment you remember. Why was it dramatic or nail-biting?”

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about watching sports

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Learn to talk about crowds, atmosphere and nail-biting drama!

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🐶 CLASS: Can Dogs Read Our Minds?

Level: Lower Intermediate
Skills: Reading, vocabulary, speaking, basic critical thinking
Time: 45–60 minutes

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask your student:

Do you think dogs understand humans?

sometimes I think they do but sometimes they don't...

I think they feel humans emotions, I can arrive from work tired and my dog gives me love.

Can dogs feel when we are sad or happy?

yes they do

Do animals have emotions?

the octopus is very smart, and pig is really clever and the cows are very loyal and sensitive

Encourage short, simple answers.

2. Vocabulary Preparation (8 minutes)

Teach these words using simple explanations and your own examples:

aware – when you know something

i am aware that most of the animals have emotions.

relate closely to – understand well or feel a connection

the death of many animals is related closely to the demand of humans habits for eating them.

brain scan – a picture or study of the brain

provoke – to cause something to happen

too much red meat can provoke illnesses.

domesticated – trained to live with humans

subtle – very small and difficult to notice

innate – something natural, not learned

stimulus – something that makes you react

genes – parts of DNA that affect how living things grow

Ask:
“Which of these words describe a dog you know?”

3. Reading (5 minutes)

Have the student read the text aloud or silently.
Stop after each paragraph to check understanding.

4. Comprehension: Match Headings to Paragraphs (5 minutes)

Correct answers:

Paragraph 1 → friendly mind readers?

Paragraph 2 → different perspectives

Paragraph 3 → canine brain responses

Paragraph 4 → nature or nurture

Paragraph 5 → companions and assistants

5. Comprehension: Choose the Correct Option (8 minutes)

1. Dogs develop a detailed picture of what we are thinking.
→ False

2. In paragraph 2, “they” refers to…
→ dogs

3. Dogs know when they should be quiet to get food.
→ True

4. Dogs show greater emotional responses than other domesticated animals.
→ Not given

5. Dogs are better than wolves at responding to ______ clues.
→ subtle

6. Summary Completion (5 minutes)

Fill in the blanks using words from the lesson.

Correct answers:

1. relate closely

2. aware

3. brain scans

4. provoke

5. innate

7. Guided Speaking Practice (10 minutes)

Ask your student to answer using simple sentences:

Why do people love dogs so much?

Do you think dogs can feel human emotions? Why?

Can you describe a moment when a dog understood something about a person?

Why do you think dogs are good assistance animals?

Do you think dogs are born with emotional intelligence, or do they learn it?

Encourage them to use the new vocabulary when possible.

8. Simple Critical Thinking (5 minutes)

Give your student these statements.
Ask if they agree or disagree, and why, using easy language.

“Dogs understand humans very well.”

“Animals can feel emotions just like humans.”

“Dogs should be trained to help more people.”

You can give sentence starters such as:
“I think… because…”
“In my opinion…”
“I agree / I disagree because…”

9. Optional Homework

Write 5–6 sentences about:

A dog you know (real or imagined): What can it understand about people?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBC Learning English - The Reading Room / Is your dog reading your mind?

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Practise your reading skills and learn about pets reading your mind in English

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🧠 CLASS PLAN – Topic: Relaxing

Level: Upper Intermediate (B2)
Length: 75 minutes
Skills: Listening, Vocabulary, Reading, Speaking, Critical Thinking

1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Begin with a discussion to activate prior knowledge:

Ask the student:

“After a busy day, how do you usually relax?”

“Do you think some ways of relaxing are healthier than others?”

“Do you ever feel guilty for taking time to rest?”

Encourage the student to explain their reasons in detail and introduce the word “relaxing” in context. Discuss how personal preferences for relaxation may differ across cultures or lifestyles.

2. Vocabulary Focus (10 minutes)

Introduce and discuss key words and phrases, including some more advanced synonyms or related expressions:

relax – to do less activity in order to feel calm and happy.

relaxing – something that gives a feeling of calmness or happiness.

switch off – stop thinking about stressful or work-related things.

rest – pause from activity to recover physically or mentally.

take your mind off – redirect your thoughts to something else to reduce stress.

unwind – a synonym of relax, often used after stressful work.

recharge – regain energy mentally or physically.

mindfulness – being fully aware of the present moment, often used in relaxation techniques.

Activity: give example sentences and ask the student to create their own. Discuss subtle differences between words like rest, relax, unwind, and recharge.

3. Listening: Beth and Neil’s Conversation (15 minutes)

Play or read aloud the conversation.

Task 1 – Gist comprehension:
Ask the student:

“What are the main ways Beth and Neil relax?”

“Who prefers active relaxation, and who prefers quiet/restful activities?”

Task 2 – Detail comprehension:
Ask more analytical questions:

Why does Beth find music helpful in the kitchen?

Why does Neil get bored when resting?

How do they define ‘switch off’?

Do you agree with their ideas about relaxing? Why or why not?

4. Reading & Analysis (20 minutes)

Give the student the longer reading text:

How People Relax in the 21st Century
In the modern world, stress has become almost unavoidable. People’s lives are increasingly busy, often blending work, study, and social commitments. As a result, finding time to relax has become a crucial skill for mental and physical health. Many individuals seek relaxation in traditional ways, such as reading, taking walks, spending time with friends and family, or practicing hobbies.

At the same time, technology has created new opportunities — and challenges — for relaxation. Some people enjoy streaming series, listening to podcasts, or using meditation and wellness apps. However, the constant connectivity can make true rest difficult. Notifications, emails, and social media updates can prevent the mind from fully switching off, which is why “digital detox” periods, where individuals deliberately disconnect from devices, are growing in popularity.

Research suggests that effective relaxation depends on personalization. What is restful for one person may be stressful for another. For example, some people find vigorous exercise, like running or swimming, relaxing, while others prefer quiet activities such as yoga or journaling. Mindfulness practices and deep-breathing exercises are also increasingly popular, helping people recharge both physically and mentally.

Ultimately, society is recognizing that relaxation is not a luxury but a necessity. Learning how to unwind properly can improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and increase overall well-being. The challenge is balancing activity, rest, and digital engagement to find what truly helps each person recover from a busy life.

Comprehension & Analysis Questions:

1. What are some traditional ways people relax?

2. How has technology affected people’s ability to relax?

3. What is a “digital detox,” and why is it growing in popularity?

4. Why does the text emphasize that relaxation is personal?

5. What are the benefits of relaxation according to the text?

6. Which ideas in the text do you agree or disagree with, and why?

Language focus:

Highlight useful expressions: as a result, at the same time, ultimately.

Discuss advanced vocabulary: connectivity, deliberate, personalized, recharge, unwind.

5. Speaking & Critical Thinking (15 minutes)

Discussion prompts for extended speaking:

“Which relaxation methods from the text do you already use?”

“Would you try digital detox? Why or why not?”

“Do you think relaxation is more important now than in the past?”

“Can relaxing sometimes be counterproductive if done the wrong way?”

Optional activity: role-play a conversation where one student gives advice to a stressed friend on ways to relax.

6. Wrap-up & Homework (5 minutes)

Review key vocabulary and expressions.

Ask: “Which new relaxation strategies could you try this week?”

Homework suggestion: write a short essay (120–150 words) titled “My Ideal Way to Relax and Recharge”, including at least five new vocabulary words from today’s lesson.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about relaxing

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Take your mind off your busy day by learning to talk about resting and switching off.

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(Photo: Getty)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Introduction

Phil and Beth talk about what makes them scared. Learn to talk about your fears with this conversation in easy English.

Vocabulary

afraid/frightened/scared (of something)
a feeling of fear

terrified (of something)
a feeling of a lot of fear

phobia
a very big fear of something

freak out
lose emotional control

Transcript

Phil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Phil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. You can find a video of this podcast and a free worksheet on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com

Phil
Hi, Beth.

Beth
Hello, Phil. How are you?

Phil
I'm good, I'm good. You?

Beth
Yes, I'm very well, thank you.

OK, well, today we're going to talk about fears and we're going to talk about the things that make you scared.

Beth
OK, let's get started.

What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of spiders. I really hate spiders. I'm really scared of spiders. It's OK if they're small. Maybe, no, yeah, I was going to say medium-sized is OK - they're not. Anything like medium, large, long legs. Uh, no, I don't like spiders.

Phil
What do you do if you see a spider?

Make weird noises, go "Ah! Help! There's a spider." What are you afraid of?

Um, this is a strange one, because it doesn't really happen to me very much. But I'm scared of being in really small spaces. You know, people who work under floors and do things like that. I'd, I'd be too worried about getting stuck.

Yeah, I completely understand that fear. Phil, do you have any phobias? A phobia is a really bad, extreme fear of something.

I don't think I do, really. I don't think there's, like, one thing that I am absolutely terrified of and can't see. I think just sometimes there are situations that are scary because, you know, maybe they could be dangerous or worrying, but I don't think there's one thing that I see and go "Ah!"

Yeah. I have a friend and she has a phobia of bananas. I know it sounds silly. She is terrified of bananas. If she sees a banana, she will cry and scream, and it's very dramatic. And that is a proper phobia. When you see something and you break down, you completely freak out. That's a phobia. So, I don't think I have any phobias either. Like, I don't like spiders and I am scared of them, but they don't make me freak out and panic.

So, Beth, is there anything that you were afraid of when you were younger, but you're not afraid of now?

Actually, yes. So when I was young and even a teenager, I was scared of looking out at the sea. So if I was, I was always good at swimming, so swimming wasn't the problem. But looking out to the ocean and seeing the horizon - that's the end of the ocean - really scared me and I just couldn't look at it. And I had that for quite a long time. And I don't really know why, because I don't know what I was scared of. It was almost so big that it scared me.

Mmm, I've got a watery one. Um, I remember when I was learning to swim and the teacher taking me to the deep end of the swimming pool, so it was about two metres deep nearly, and I wasn't very tall then. Um, and I had to jump in and I was absolutely terrified. But now I can swim, so I'm not scared of water in that way.

Beth
Do you often jump in pools these days?

Phil
Um, now and then when I get the chance. I don't go swimming very often, but when I do, I can jump in and it's fine.

Let's recap the vocabulary that we used in this conversation. We used a lot of words to describe the feeling of fear so we can be afraid, frightened, or scared of something which all mean something makes us feel fear.

And we also had terrified of. If you are terrified of something, you are really, really scared of it.

We heard the word phobia, which describes a very bad fear of something.

Yes. For example, my friend has a phobia of bananas. She cries when she sees them because she's so scared. And we also had freak out. If you freak out, then you panic because you're so, so scared of something.

Phil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Test yourself with the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. Goodbye for now.

Phil
Bye.

Next

Learn more phrasal verbs like 'freak out' in Phrasal verbs with Georgie.

Download a free worksheet.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about fears

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Learn to talk about your fears with this conversation in easy English

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🌍 Lesson Plan:

Fears in Today’s World

Level: Lower Intermediate

Focus: Reading comprehension + Grammar (I am afraid of / I am scared of / I am terrified of/threatened of

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Ask: What are some things people are afraid of today?

people are afraid of corruption, violence and injustice.

i am afraid of being in jail.

i am scared of coming back to teach at schools.

Elicit examples (spiders, exams, crime, climate change, etc.).

Put them on a board/list.

👉 Introduce grammar input:

I am afraid of losing my job, he´s afraid of losing me of course, and He is afraid of ghosts.

I am scared of going up on high places like mountains or hills.

I am terrified of choosing a wrong president this new election.

i am threatened of drinking alcohol like whysky and vodka and Gin.

Give a simple example: I am afraid of spiders.

⸻

📖 Extended Reading: Fears in Today’s World

People everywhere experience fear. Some fears are small and personal, while others are big and connected to society or the world. Fear is a natural feeling, but the things we are afraid of can change over time.

Long ago, people were afraid of animals, darkness, storms, or being attacked. These fears are still common today. For example, many people are still afraid of spiders, snakes, or flying in an airplane. Others are scared of speaking in public or going to the dentist.

But modern life has also created new fears. Many people are afraid of climate change. They are scared of fires, floods, or hurricanes. They are also worried about the future of the planet and the next generations.

Another modern fear is technology. Some workers are afraid of losing their jobs because robots or artificial intelligence can replace them. Others are scared of the internet, because of hackers or online scams. Teenagers especially are afraid of not being popular or not being accepted on social media. For them, “likes” and comments can feel very important, so they are terrified of being ignored or rejected online.

Adults often have social and financial fears. Many are afraid of losing money or not having enough to support their families. Others are scared of being alone or not having enough time for the people they love. Some are terrified of illness, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which showed how quickly life can change.

Fears are also different around the world. In countries with violence, many people are afraid of war, crime, or terrorism. In other countries, people are scared of not having clean water, good education, or safe hospitals. While fears can look different depending on where people live, one thing is the same everywhere: everyone has fears.

Fear can be difficult, but it also connects us. When we talk about our fears, we see that we are not alone.

2. Pre-Reading Vocabulary (5 min)

Go over some key words:

climate change = changes in world weather

floods = too much water in a place

hurricanes = very strong storms

hackers = people who steal information online

scams = lies to steal money

Check with quick matching or examples.

3. Reading (10–12 min)

📖 Extended Passage (already created in previous step).

👉 Options for delivery:

Teacher reads aloud first, student follows.

Then student reads one paragraph at a time.

4. Reading Comprehension (10 min)

Ask simple questions:

1. What were people afraid of long ago?

2. Why are many people scared of climate change today?

3. Why are some workers afraid of technology?

4. What are teenagers often terrified of?

5. What fears do adults usually have?

6. Do fears change in different countries? Give examples.

7. Why does fear connect people?

5. Grammar Focus:

I am afraid of / I am scared of / I am terrified of

(10 min)

Model sentences from the text:

Many people are afraid of climate change.

Teenagers are scared of being rejected on social media.

Some adults are terrified of illness.

👉 Practice:

Transform words into full sentences:

Spiders → I am afraid of spiders.

Speaking in public → I am scared of speaking in public.

War → I am terrified of war.

Losing money → I am afraid of losing money.

Flying → I am scared of flying.

6. Speaking Practice (10–12 min)

Student writes 3 personal sentences with the target grammar.

Share aloud: I am afraid of ___. → Teacher responds naturally (Really? I am not. I am afraid of ___.).

Pair role-play: Imagine two friends talking about fears. Example:

A: I am afraid of climate change.

B: Oh yes, me too! But I am also scared of losing my phone.

7. Wrap-up / Reflection (5 min)

Review: vocabulary + grammar structure.

Ask: What is one fear you think most people in the world share today?

Homework option: Write 5 sentences about fears you and your family/friends have.

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🏦 Class Plan – Saving Money (Intermediate)

🎯 Objectives

Understand a real English conversation about saving money

Learn and practice vocabulary: budget, shop around, offer, on offer, deal

Practice speaking about personal habits and strategies for saving money

Develop critical thinking about consumer behavior

1. Warm-up (5–7 min)

Discussion questions:

Are you good at saving money? Why/why not?

i´m not good at saving money because i spend it much on things like restaurants, clothes, and my pets are expensive.

When was the last time you spent too much? On what?

on my birthday i had to spend a lot on the buffet, bartenders, the band of musicians.

Do you plan a budget, or do you spend spontaneously?

Sometime i keep a budget and i keep the rental and the supermaket and try to stick to the budget.

2. Pre-listening Vocabulary (5–8 min)

Introduce and explain the key words from the transcript.

budget → a plan of how much you will spend

normally i have a budget to spend on a trip abroad.

shop around → compare prices before buying online

i think is neccessary to shop around before i buy.

offer/deal → a special low price

i found a good offer for milk in the supermarket

the two clients closed a good deal (bussiness)

on offer/on sale → temporarily cheaper

milk is 10% off is on offer, is a good deal.

👉 Quick activity: Give sentences with missing words. Students choose the correct option.

Example:

1. I never buy the first phone I see, I always shop around__________.

2. This laptop is __on offer/on sale________. It’s 20% cheaper today.

3. Listening/Reading Practice (10–12 min)

Teacher reads short extracts OR students read along with transcript.

Task: While listening/reading, students underline examples where Beth & Phil talk about saving strategies.

👉 Example notes students might find:

Stick to a budget

i´m not good at saving money but next week i am sticking to the budget

Shop around before buying

before buying something i always shop around.

Look for offers online.

i always look for for offers, it´s a good way to save money.

4. Comprehension Check (5–7 min)

Ask students to answer in pairs or small groups:

1. What are Beth and Phil saving for?

2. How does Beth try to save money on holidays?

3. How does Phil save money on weekly food shopping?

4. What problem can happen with offers?

5. Language Focus (10 min)

Grammar: Talking about habits (Present Simple & Frequency)

Examples from transcript:

I don’t spend lots of money on clothes.

I always look at the offers.

👉 Practice: Students make their own sentences using:

always / usually / sometimes / never

spend / save / shop around

6. Speaking Practice – Role Play (10 min)

Situation: You are planning a holiday with a friend.

Decide on a budget.

Discuss how to save money. (Flights, hotels, food, shopping.)

Agree on one deal/offer you would take.

👉 Students use target vocabulary while negotiating.

7. Extra Reading Extension (optional – 8–10 min)

Text for discussion:

💡 Impulse buying and consumer psychology

Many people believe they are saving money when they buy something “on offer,” but research shows that shoppers often spend more. A supermarket may offer “buy one, get one free,” but if you only needed one product, you are actually spending extra. Marketers design offers to make people feel they are saving, when in reality, they are spending more than planned. The best way to save money is to follow a strict budget and ask yourself before buying: “Do I really need this?”

Follow-up questions:

Do you agree that offers can make us spend more?

Have you ever bought something just because it was “on offer”?

Which do you think is harder: sticking to a budget or resisting offers?

8. Wrap-up (3–5 min)

Review vocabulary: budget, shop around, offer, on offer, deal

Ask: What’s one new way you can save money this week?

Quick reflection: Do you think you are more like Beth or Phil?

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about saving money

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🌍 Class Plan: The New Normal – Online Work & Meetings

Level: Low Intermediate
Focus: Discussion, vocabulary, grammar (giving opinions), fluency

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Teacher asks:

Do you work/study online?

Do you have many meetings or classes online?

Do you like them? Why / Why not?
👉 Goal: activate topic & personal connection.

2. Vocabulary (10 min)

Introduce with examples & mime/gestures:

brainstorm → "When we have many ideas together."

speak up → "Say your opinion in a group."

in-person / face-to-face → "Meeting in the same room."

remote (meeting) → "Meeting on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet."

📝 Quick task: Match words with pictures or definitions.

3. Listening / Reading (10–12 min)

Use short parts of the transcript (not the whole). For example:

Beth: “I think when you need to brainstorm, meetings are really useful.”
Georgie: “I prefer meetings in person because you can see body language.”

👉 Activity:

Students underline the new words.

Teacher asks: Do you agree with Beth or Georgie?

4. Grammar Focus – Opinion Chunks (10 min)

Model and drill useful structures:

I think…

In my opinion…

For me…

I prefer X because…

I don’t really like X, but…

📝 Quick practice:

Students complete sentences:

1. I think remote meetings are…

2. In my opinion, face-to-face meetings are…

3. I prefer working at home because…

5. Discussion Task (15 min)

Put students in pairs/groups (or teacher-student if 1-1):

Questions:

Do you like online meetings or in-person meetings more? Why?

When are meetings useful?

Do you usually speak up in meetings or classes?

What is good about working from home?

What is difficult about working from home?

Encourage use of grammar chunks! (Teacher writes on board: I think / In my opinion / I prefer / For me…)

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

Quick recap of vocabulary (brainstorm, speak up, in-person, remote).

Ask: In one sentence, what do you prefer: remote or in-person meetings?

✨ Extra tip: For fun, end with a mini-debate:

Half the class = Team Remote 🖥️

Half the class = Team In-Person 🏢
Each side gives 2 reasons using opinion chunks.

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(Photo: Getty)

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Georgie and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about work and meetings. Learn to talk about whether meetings are useful and how many meetings you have.

Vocabulary

brainstorm
gather together to discuss ideas

speak up
express your opinion using your voice

in-person or face-fo-face (meeting)
a meeting where everyone is in the same physical place

remote (meeting)
a meeting that happens on a call, often a video call

Transcript

Georgie
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Georgie.

Beth
And I'm Beth. You can find a video of this podcast and a worksheet to help you learn on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Georgie
Hi Beth, how are you today?

Beth
I'm good, thank you. I am very busy. I have a lot of meetings. How are you?

Georgie
I'm OK, thank you, Beth, I don't have many meetings today. But today we are talking about meetings, in particular work meetings where you talk to colleagues and discuss ideas or make decisions.

Georgie
OK. Shall we get started?

Georgie
So, Beth, you have a lot of meetings today. Do you generally have a lot of meetings at work? It really depends on what I'm working on. So if I have a project where I need to meet a lot of people, then I might have quite a few meetings. And that's why I'm busy now. But generally, we have a lot of, a few meetings together as a team. But I don't think we have loads of meetings.

Georgie
Compared to other jobs, I don't think we have many meetings. Most of our work is producing things and editing and writing. But you're right. When there are lots of big projects that we need to talk to other people on the project, we have more meetings. But yeah, like you, it really depends.

So, when do you think meetings are useful?

Beth
I think when you need to brainstorm. So, brainstorm is when you have lots of new ideas and you need to talk about them together. I think then meetings are really useful because you hear lots of new ideas, and when you're in a room with other people, if, for example, I have an idea and you say, that's good, and we can also do this and we can all work together, and I think those kind of meetings are really useful.

Georgie
Yeah, I think that way of doing it is also more efficient. So sometimes it's better to just have one hour, come up with ideas and decide on the ideas.

Georgie
I think, if the meeting has lots of people, I find it a bit more stressful to speak up because I get a bit nervous to speak in front of lots of people. But if it's a meeting with just our team, for example, you guys I like and trust. I, I don't mind speaking up that much.

Beth
And sometimes we have meetings in person. Sometimes you have meetings on a call. So a video call. Do you prefer meeting in person or having calls?

Georgie
It is also really nice to be able to take calls in your own house. So, working from home can be really nice because you can have your snacks and drinks nearby. So yeah, they both have their pros and cons.

Georgie
In an in-person meeting, everyone is in the same physical place. We can also call this a face-to-face meeting.

Georgie
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Why not test what you've learned using the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about meetings

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📝 Lesson Plan – Lower Intermediate English (A2–B1)

Topic: Social Media & Adolescents
Time: 60 minutes

1️⃣ Warm-up (5 min) 🎤

Quick chat:

Do you think social media is good or bad for teenagers?

Did you watch Felca´s video talking about 🤬 with teenagers?

👉 Focus: activate topic, simple sentences.

2️⃣ Vocabulary Introduction (15 min) 📚

Target words:

adolescent 👦👧 teenagers

fed 🍔📱 = alimentados

algorithms 🧮💻

revenue 💰= profit/ lucro

onus 🏋️ = responsibility

a losing battle ⚔️= batalha perdida

Activities:

1. Matching exercise: match the word with its definition.

2. Pronunciation practice: teacher says, students repeat (clap syllables).

a-do-les-cent (4 syllables, stress on les)

al-go-rithms (3 syllables, stress on al)

re-ve-nue (3 syllables, stress on re)

o-nus (2 syllables, stress on o)

3. Sentence completion:

Social media makes a lot of ______ through advertising.

The ______ is on parents to control children’s phone use.

3️⃣ Grammar Focus:

✨ Teaching tip:

First, review the difference:

Must = obligation, very strong.

Have to = external obligation/rule.

Should = advice, recommendation.

Practice:

→ students build correct sentences.
Example: (adolescents / spend / online / hours) → Adolescents mustn´t spend hours online.

4️⃣ Pronunciation & Rhythm Practice (10 min) 🔊

Practice intonation in statements vs. questions.

Adolescents are fed videos by algorithms. (falling tone)

Are adolescents fed videos by algorithms? (rising tone)

Pair work: read mini-dialogues with correct stress.

5️⃣ Controlled Practice: Short Reading (10 min) 📖

Mini-text (using vocab):

Many adolescents use social media every day. They are fed videos by algorithms. The onus is on parents to control what their children watch. Social media companies make revenue from advertising, but fighting harmful content is a losing battle.

Comprehension questions:

Who is fed videos?

Where does the revenue come from?

Who has the onus to control children’s use?

Why is it a losing battle?

6️⃣ Wrap-up & Homework (5 min) ✅

Quick oral recap: students must say one new word they learned.

Homework writing task: Write 5 sentences using the new vocabulary.

👉 In this lesson, the student will:

📚 Learn 6 new words.

🏗️ Practice correct sentence order.

🔊 Work on pronunciation and stress.

✍️ Produce sentences and short answers with new grammar and vocab.

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What are the risks of social media to teenage health and what can be done about them? Beth and Neil discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

What percentage of 13 to 24-year-olds use Snapchat?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

adolescent
a person aged 10 to 19: between childhood and adulthood

fed
given content by a social media platform

algorithms
a complex set of rules and calculations that prioritise and personalise online content

revenue
the money a company earns, which could come from sales or advertising

onus
responsibility or duty

a losing battle
a fight you cannot win
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. ... Beth? What are you doing? Get off your phone!

Beth
Oh, sorry. And I'm Beth.

Neil
Are you addicted to social media? It wouldn't be a surprise. With so many different apps out there, Snapchat, TikTok, and the latest, Threads, it's easy to spend a lot more time on your phone than ever before.

Beth
Yes. I don't think I'm addicted, but I definitely spend more time on social media than I would like to. However, there are plenty of studies out there looking at how social media affects mental health with some saying it can be as addictive as gambling.

Neil
Research in the US has found that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of developing depression and anxiety. An adolescent is someone aged 10 to 19, between childhood and adulthood. With that in mind, it's no wonder parents are worried. To help with this, the US is currently in the process of regulating social media apps for teenagers. Some scientists think the UK should do the same.

Beth
There has been growing agreement among health experts about the negative, chronic health effects of social media use on teenagers. They have revealed in surveys that social media makes them feel worse about their body image, and 64% of teens have said they are regularly exposed to hate-based content. In this programme, we'll be discussing how social media affects teenagers, and, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Neil
But first I have a question for you, Beth. The app Snapchat is a very common way that teenagers communicate these days. This is partly because messages and photos disappear after a certain time period. But, what percentage of 13 to 24-year-olds use Snapchat? Is it:

Neil
OK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Now, a lot of social media platforms, such as TikTok, work by showing and suggesting similar accounts and content to those someone has already searched for. Professor Devi Sridhar, the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, thinks this can be concerning, as she told BBC World Service programme, Inside Science:

Professor Devi Sridhar
And this is worrying for example, with young girls and eating disorders, that they're being fed that in an addictive way and the algorithm is saying 'oh they like that content. We want to keep giving it to them because it keeps them on their phones', and I think that's the really vital message here, of any of these apps, is that their revenue comes from advertising.

Beth
Teenagers are being fed content in a way that is addictive. If you are fed something, it means you are given something. In this case, it refers to content, not food. The content is addictive because social media uses algorithms. Algorithms are a complex set of rules and calculations that prioritise and personalise the content a user sees.

Neil
But we need to remember that social media platforms use algorithms to keep users on the platforms for as long as possible because the revenue comes from advertising. Revenue is the money a company earns. They are paid by other companies to use the social media space to promote their products.

Beth
This could be seen as social media platforms prioritising making money over the mental health of users - a worry for parents. Professor Devi Sridhar talked about the challenges of having a teenager addicted to social media on BBC World Service programme, Inside Science:

Professor Devi Sridhar
And so, I think the challenge here, as a parent, listening to this is what do you do about it. And I think the onus has really been put on parents and concerned adults to find solutions on their own. And that means debates with your child over what are you on, are you using this, but it's a losing battle because it's their entire social network.

Beth
Professor Sridhar says that, when it comes to helping teenagers navigate social media, the onus has been put on parents to find solutions. The onus means the responsibility or duty. Parents need to be able to challenge their children when they need to, even if this is a losing battle, a fight they cannot win, as teenagers have their 'entire life' on social networks.

Neil
OK, Beth. I think it's time I revealed the answer to my question. I asked you what percentage of 13 to 24-year-olds use Snapchat?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Social media and teenage health

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What are the health risks of social media for teenagers?

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🌟 Class Plan: Secrets & Present Perfect (Basic Level)

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Quick intro chat:
Do you have a secret? (Don’t tell me, just yes/no!)
Have you ever revealed a secret?

i have probably revealed a secret to my best friend.

betrayal - lies -

👉 This already brings in Have you ever…?

2. Vocabulary (10 min)

Use the list you provided. Teach with examples and simple Q&A.

secret – "I have a secret." / "Do you have a secret?"

keep a secret – "I can keep a secret."

open book – "I am an open book. I tell everything."

lie – "He lied. That is not true."

liar – "A liar lies a lot."

💡 Mini-practice: Hold up fingers — Secret? Yes or no? / Liar? Yes or no? (student answers quickly).

3. Listening (10–12 min)

Play part of the conversation (or read aloud).

Ask: What words did you hear? (student recognizes secret, keep, lie, etc.).

Listen again with transcript. Underline any have/has + past participle (examples: I’ve had to keep a big secret, I’ve told my mum by accident).

4. Grammar Focus – Present Perfect (15 min)

Write the structure on the board:
Have/Has + Past Participle

Examples from transcript:

I’ve had to keep a big secret. i´ve reveled many secrets

I’ve told my mum. - i told my mom

👉 Contrast:

Present perfect = experience / connection to now.

Past simple = finished past.

💡 Practice with Have you ever…?

Have you ever kept a secret?

yes i have.

Have you ever lied?

yes, i have

Have you ever told your mum a secret?

no, i haven´t
(Encourage Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.)

5. Controlled Practice (10 min)

Secret game: Prepare slips of paper with prompts. Student must answer in present perfect.

…told a lie?

…kept a secret?

…told a secret by mistake?

…lied to a friend?

👉 Teacher can model: I have told a lie. I have not kept a big secret.

6. Speaking Extension (8–10 min)

Role-play:

Student is Beth and you are Georgie.

Ask each other:
Have you ever kept a big secret?
What has happened when you told a secret?

Keep it short and simple.

7. Wrap-up (5 min)

Review new vocab (secret, lie, liar, open book, keep a secret).

Review grammar: Have you ever gone to paris…? Yes, I have / No, I haven’t.

Quick exit question: Have you ever told a secret by accident?

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about secrets

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Learn to talk about being honest and lying

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Lesson Plan – Moon Missions & Past Passive Grammar

🎯 Objectives

Build topic-specific vocabulary (space science).

Practice past passive for science discovery and historical events.

Develop discussion skills around exploration and science.

1️⃣ Warm-up discussion (5 min)

Prompt questions:

If you could go to space, would you? Why / why not?

What do you know about the Moon?

Why do you think scientists are still interested in visiting it?

2️⃣ Vocabulary input (10 min)

Target vocabulary from the text:

1. inert – not moving; unable to move

2. crater – large hole caused by impact/explosion

3. pockmarked – covered in small holes and scars

4. a big deal – important or significant

5. trace (something back) – find the origin by investigation

6. a smoking gun – clear and indisputable proof

Activity – “Meaning Match & Guess the Context”

Give students cards: one set with definitions, one set with the target words.

Students match them, then try to guess how they might be used in the context of Moon exploration before listening.

3️⃣ Listening for gist (5 min)

Play (or read) the first part of the transcript.

Task: “Why are scientists so interested in the Moon now?” (students discuss in pairs, then share).

4️⃣ Listening for detail (5 min)

Play/read the second part.

Comprehension questions:

1. What country successfully landed on the Moon in 2023?

2. Why is the Moon’s surface a good record of history?

3. How could Moon water help explain Earth’s water?

4. What does “smoking gun” mean in this context?

5️⃣ Grammar input – Past Passive (10 min)

From the text:

“The Apollo 11 spacecraft was landed on the Moon…”

“Russia’s rocket was crashed on landing…”

“Evidence of those crashes has been erased by the moving surface of the Earth.”

Structure focus:

was/were + past participle (single event in the past)

has/have been + past participle (event affecting the present)

Form practice:

Convert active → passive:

1. Scientists found water on the Moon. → Water was found on the Moon.

2. Comets brought water to Earth. → Water was brought to Earth by comets.

3. India landed a spacecraft on the Moon. → A spacecraft was landed on the Moon by India.

6️⃣ Discussion practice with grammar & vocab (12 min)

Role-play activity – “The Moon Exploration Debate”

Groups of 3–4: Half are “pro-Moon missions,” half are “against spending money on them.”

Must use:

At least 3 vocabulary words from today.

At least 2 past passive sentences.

Example:

“The Moon was pockmarked by impacts over billions of years.”

“Evidence was erased on Earth but preserved on the Moon — that’s a big deal.”

7️⃣ Final quiz – Astronaut question (3 min)

Ask: “Who was the third Apollo 11 astronaut?” → Michael Collins.

Quick recap of vocabulary + grammar.

Homework

Write a 150-word opinion paragraph:
“Should humans return to the Moon?”

Use at least 4 of today’s vocabulary items.

Include 3 past passive sentences.

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Summer 2023 saw two missions to the Moon. Why are scientists so keen to get there? Find out with Georgie and Neil.

This week's question

Who was the third astronaut on the Apollo 11 mission, after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?

a) Yuri Gargarin
b) Michael Collins? or,
c) Alan Shepard?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

inert
not moving; unable to move

crater
very large hole in the ground, which has been caused by something hitting it or by an explosion; the round hole at the top of a volcano

pockmarked
marked by small holes and scars

a big deal
important or significant

trace (something back)
discover the causes of something by investigating how it developed

a smoking gun
indisputable incriminating evidence; conclusive proof of something
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" - famous words, but do you know who said them?

Neil
Of course - that was Neil Armstrong, the first person to land on the Moon.

Georgie
Right, the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed Neil Armstrong on the Moon on the 20th of July 1969. But in decades after that famous event, interest in returning to the Moon faded away... until now.

Neil
Summer 2023 saw the start of a new race for the Moon between Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft and India's Chandrayaan-3. Russia's rocket crashed on landing, but Chandrayaan-3 successfully touched down on the 23rd of August, making India only the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon.

Georgie
But why this sudden interest in going back to the Moon? That's what we'll be discussing in this programme and, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.

Neil
But before we blast off, I have a question for you, Georgie. Everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the Moon, and was followed by a second astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. But who was the third Apollo astronaut who flew the command module while his crewmates walked on the Moon? Was it:

a) Yuri Gagarin?
b) Michael Collins? or,
c) Alan Shepard?

Georgie
Hmm, I think it was Michael Collins.

Neil
Okay, Georgie, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. In some ways, the current interest in the Moon is really more about the origins of Earth. One theory is that during the early days of the solar system, around 4 billion years ago, another planet crashed into Earth breaking off a part which then formed the Moon. Unlike the Earth's surface, which is constantly moving, the Moon is completely still, frozen in time to create a perfectly preserved record of what happened at the birth of the solar system. Here's astronomer, Dr Becky Smethurst, explaining more to BBC Radio 4 programme, Inside Science:

Dr Becky Smethurst
...Whereas on the Moon, it's just this inert rock, there's no atmosphere so every single thing that's happened to the Moon in its four-and-a-half billion years' worth history is still recorded there on it. And so, if anyone's ever seen an image of the far side of the Moon, the side of the Moon that we cannot see from Earth is incredibly pockmarked. There are craters all over that thing, and so this is a really big deal when we're thinking about what happened to the early Earth as well, because we think all of the Earth's water came from impacts with comets and asteroids in the very early days of the solar system.

The rock which makes up the Moon is inert - it doesn't move. It's also full of craters - large holes in the ground caused by something hitting it. The Moon has so many of these craters, it's described as pockmarked - having a surface that's covered in small marks and scars.

Georgie
That's right. Astronomers know that comets are full of ice, and think comets brought water to Earth when they crashed into it. Evidence of those crashes has been erased by the constantly moving surfaces on Earth, but not on the Moon. So, comparing water from the Moon with water on Earth could provide scientists with vital information, as Dr Smethurst explained to BBC Radio 4's, Inside Science:

Dr Becky Smethurst
So they'll be looking essentially to see if it has the same characteristics as water here on Earth, and then we can sort of trace that back from sort of the crater history as well to working out what actually happened. How long has it been there for as well. Also, various other minerals that might be there, these very heavy minerals that we know come from comets and asteroids. Again, that would be this sort of smoking gun to be like, yes this that's where this water came from and it's likely that Earth's water came from there as well.

Scientists can trace the existence of water on the Moon back to find out what happened on Earth. If you trace something back, you discover the causes of something by investigating how it developed.

Neil
Goodbye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning lessons from the Moon

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🎨

Lesson Plan – Talking About Creativity and Hobbies

Level: Intermediate

Topic: Art, hobbies, and creative activities

Skills: Vocabulary building, sentence structure, speaking, writing

Duration: 60–75 min

1️⃣ Warm-up –

Creativity Quick Chat

(5 min)

Ask:

Do you consider yourself creative? Why or why not?

What’s the last creative thing you did?

you´ve created presentations in another language, you use your skills to be creative.

Encourage students to give more than one sentence.

2️⃣ Vocabulary Focus (10 min)

Definitions from the podcast:

creative adj. – describes someone who likes art, making things, or having many ideas.

i am creative when i need to be.

sewing – making things from fabric (like clothes, blankets) using a needle or machine.

ceramics (pottery) – making things such as mugs, plates, or bowls from clay.

take up – start doing something for the first time (usually a hobby).

💡 Task:

1. Give each student a sentence with a blank to complete. Example:

“I would like to _take up/__ a new hobby this year.”

i wish i took up a new hobby but i don´t have time;

my husband is taking up a new hobby, he wants to be dj.

“She’s a very _creative____ person who paints and writes poetry.”

3. They work in pairs to check answers.

3️⃣ Listening & Comprehension (10 min)

Play or read part of the transcript. Then ask:

True or False:

1. Georgie thinks editing videos is a creative job. true

2. Beth has never tried ceramics before. false

3. Georgie still does photography as a hobby. false

4. Beth is making a blanket for her friend’s baby. true

Short Answer Questions:

What colours are in Beth’s blanket?

it´s white, orange and blue because she does´nt know if is a boy a girl.

Why does Georgie think creativity is therapeutic?

georgie makes ceramics and she thinks is relaxing. she makes pots, mugs and plates.

4️⃣ Grammar Input –

Talking About Past Habits

(10 min)

From the text: “When I was at school, I used to do photography.”

Definition:

used to + verb describes actions or situations that happened regularly in the past but no longer happen.

Examples:

I used to paint every weekend, but now I don’t.

We used to have art classes in school.

💡 Practice:

Students make 3 sentences about hobbies they used to have.

5️⃣ Speaking Practice –

Creative Hobbies Discussion

(15 min)

Task: In pairs or small groups, students discuss:

What creative hobbies do people have in your country?

If you could take up one new creative hobby, what would it be and why?

Do you think creativity is important for mental health?

Encourage them to use: creative, sewing, ceramics, take up, used to.

6️⃣ Writing Task –

Your Creative Side

(15 min)

Write a short paragraph (6–8 sentences) answering:

Are you creative?

What creative things have you done in the past?

What would you like to take up in the future?

Students read their texts to a partner.

7️⃣ Wrap-up & Reflection (5 min)

Review vocabulary and used to.

Ask: What’s one creative activity you would like to try after today’s lesson?

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about creativity

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Learn to talk about art and making things

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🌾

Class Title: Female Farmers and Fairness

🎯 Objectives:

Learn key vocabulary about gender equality and finance

Practice using present perfect with adverbs (e.g., “have risen dramatically”)

Engage in discussion about gender roles, fairness, and innovation

🕒 Stage 1 – Warm-up Discussion (10 min)

Questions to start:

1. Do women and men have equal opportunities in farming or business in your country?

2. Do you know someone who grows food or has a small business?

3. What are the challenges of selling products directly to customers?

🧠 Stage 2 – Vocabulary Task (15 min)

Match the word with its definition:

1. Sexism

2. Fluctuate

3. Risen dramatically

4. Make a big difference

5. Savings and credit union

6. Chip in

a) To significantly improve a situation

b) A financial organization where members share money and lend to each other

c) The mistreatment of one sex based on the idea the other is superior

d) Increased suddenly and surprisingly

e) Each person gives a small amount of money to help pay for something

f) To continually change, go up and down

🧩 Stage 3 – Vocabulary in Context (10 min)

Complete the sentences using the correct word:

(sexism, fluctuate, risen dramatically, chip in, savings and credit union, make a big difference)

1. Vegetable prices ______ depending on the season.

2. The app helped farmers increase profits – it really did ______.

3. Female farmers in Peru joined a ______ to support each other financially.

4. Because of ______, women in some countries are paid less for the same work.

5. When a neighbor needed help, we all decided to ______ and raise some money.

6. Since joining the app, her income has ______.

✅ Then check and discuss answers.

🧾 Stage 4 – Grammar Focus (10 min)

Target grammar: Present Perfect + Adverbs

e.g. “Her income has risen dramatically since using the app.”

e.g. “Prices have fluctuated over the past year.”

✅ Useful adverbs:

dramatically

slightly

recently

steadily

constantly

Practice task:

Complete the sentences with the present perfect form + an adverb.

1. My English ______ (improve / dramatically) since I started practicing every day.

2. Prices ______ (fluctuate / constantly) in the past months.

3. Many women ______ (join / recently) the new farming program.

4. The use of technology ______ (grow / steadily) in rural areas.

✅ Review the rule: Present perfect = have/has + past participle

→ used for recent changes or experiences without a specific time

💬 Stage 5 – Guided Discussion (15–20 min)

Choose 3–4 of the following questions:

1. Do you think technology can help reduce inequality? Why or why not?

2. Would you use an app like “Farm to Go” if you were a farmer? Why?

3. What do you think are some of the barriers that women face in agriculture?

4. Have you ever chipped in to help someone or a community project?

5. Do you know any organizations or projects in your country that support women?

💡 Encourage your student to use vocabulary from today’s class and present perfect when possible.

🏁 Stage 6 – Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 min)

What new words or expressions do you remember from today?

What ideas from the podcast did you find interesting or surprising?

Optional homework:

Write a short paragraph (80–100 words) about how technology has helped people in rural areas. Use at least 3 vocabulary words from today and one sentence in present perfect.

✅ Answers: 1c, 2f, 3d, 4a, 5b, 6e

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sexism: Female farmers fighting back

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How can female farmers beat rural sexism?

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💼 Intermediate ESL Lesson – How to Avoid Being Miserable at Work

🎧 Based on the BBC Learning English episode with Neil and Beth

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Understand and use key work-related vocabulary

Discuss job satisfaction and workplace culture

Reflect on their own work-life balance

Practice listening comprehension and structured speaking

⏳ Total Time: 60–75 minutes

Materials: Audio or transcript (if available), whiteboard or slides, and discussion prompts.

🧠 1. Warm-up Discussion (10 minutes)

Start with some general questions to activate prior knowledge:

What makes a job good or bad?

in my opinion my job is very good, i like what i do, studied for that and i chose this job. what makes a job good is the process, the challenges, every day i know other challenges, other knowledge from people that work with me. this a good opportunity with a lot of people from other cultures.

Have you ever had a job you didn’t like? Why?

the amount of meeting is so tiring and that i didn´t like, but not the job, when i chose the job that i loved it is just fine.

What makes people unhappy at work?

the organizational climate makes people feel unhappy because in the job we stay more time than our lives and if the climate isn´t good, the engagement can be affected very negatively, second point is the lower payment for some employees, without benefits for some is also bad and that makes people feel unhappy.

Introduce the day’s topic: how to avoid being miserable at work.

📚 2. Vocabulary Introduction (10–12 minutes)

Present these six vocabulary items in context (no charts):

Burnout – when you feel exhausted and lose motivation due to too much work

People complain about working hard and they must suffer burnout, but they don´t know what hard work really is.

Meet the Deadline – a time or date when something must be finished

the payroll is based on the deadline due to the government orden. i always need to meet my deadlines.

Breathing down someone’s neck – watching someone too closely while they work

my boss is cool, and he´s very committed to meet deadlines so, sometimes he can breath down you neck.

Presenteeism – staying at work longer or going to work when sick to seem important.

sometimes we see the presenteeism without engagement for the employees and we need to report it and make a call for this difficult feedbacks.

Work-life balance – the time you spend at work vs. doing things you enjoy

Win-win – a situation that benefits everyone

Practice: Give example sentences and ask:

Have you ever felt burnout?

What deadlines do you have in your work/life?

Does your boss ever breathe down your neck?

🎧 3. Listening Comprehension (15–20 minutes)

Task: Play or read aloud selected parts of the conversation.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was Neil’s worst job?

2. What job was voted the worst in the UK?

3. Why did 15,000 NHS nurses quit?

4. What change was tested in the construction industry?

5. What are the benefits of “output-based” work?

6. What do they mean by “win-win”?

(You may play or paraphrase the section about the Forbes survey and the trial project by Emma Stewart.)

💬 4. Discussion & Speaking Practice (15–20 minutes)

Pair or group questions (or 1-on-1 if private class):

Do you think your country has a healthy work-life balance?

Have you ever worked under a deadline that was too stressful?

What do you think about “presenteeism”? Do people do this in your workplace?

What would be a win-win situation in your current job?

Encourage the student to use the vocabulary in their responses.

🧑‍🏭 5. Role-Play or Mini Debate (Optional – 10–15 minutes)

Scenario: Your company is changing from a strict 9–5 job to task-based working.

Roles:

HR Manager explaining the benefits

Employee concerned about changes

Manager who prefers traditional work hours

Goal: Use at least 3 new vocabulary words in the conversation. Discuss pros and cons.

✍️ 6. Writing Task (Optional Homework)

Prompt:
Write a short paragraph (100–150 words):
“What does a healthy work-life balance look like for you? What would be a win-win job situation in your life?”

Encourage the use of vocabulary like burnout, deadline, presenteeism, etc.

🔁 7. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

Quickly review the vocabulary and ask:

Which of these words do you think you’ll use this week?

What did you learn today about work and happiness?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We spend so much of our day working - how can we ensure our job doesn't make us miserable? It takes more than just money and conditions. Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

According to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, what was voted the worst job in the UK? Was it:

a) a call centre worker?
b) a bartender? or,
c) a traffic warden?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

burnout
lack of energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard

deadline
the time or date by which a particular job must be finished

to be breathing down someone's neck
(idiom) to watch someone very closely and check everything they do

presenteeism
staying at work longer than usual, or going to work when you are ill, to show that you work hard and are important to your employer

work-life balance
the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend relaxing with your family and doing things you enjoy

win-win
a situation or result that is good for everyone involved
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Neil
Beth, have you ever had a horrible boss, not been paid enough, or simply got tired of doing the same old boring job?

Beth
I love presenting Six Minute English - of course, but some of my previous jobs have been pretty awful, Neil. When I waitressed in cafes I was on my feet ten hours a day - it was exhausting!

Beth
But does work have to be like this? Since most of our waking day is spent at work, how can we make sure our job doesn't make us unhappy? That's what we'll be discussing in this programme, and, as usual, will be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Neil
Sounds good, Beth, but first I have a question for you. The worst job I ever had was the summer I spent working as a portable toilet cleaner at music festivals, but according to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, what was voted the worst job in the UK? Was it:

a) a call centre worker?
b) a bartender? or,
c) a traffic warden?

Beth
I think the answer might be a call centre worker.

Neil
OK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Now, it's interesting that survey was carried out in the UK, because being unhappy at work could be related to the British working culture which emphasizes working at a fast pace. Here's Damian Grimshaw, a Professor of Employment Studies at King's College, London, speaking with BBC Radio 4 programme, Analysis:

Professor Damian Grimshaw
Really it's all about pace, cost efficiencies, meeting targets, deadlines... so this is why when people do surveys of what we call 'work intensity', so how hard you work, are you driven on pace?, is there a supervisor breathing down your neck?, we score really badly compared to European countries.

Beth
That's right. A good job is about more than pay and conditions, it's one that uses your talents, and gives you some choice over how and when you work. In 2022, Britain's biggest employer, the National Health Service or NHS, lost more than 15,000 nurses, many quitting because of the long and inflexible working hours.

Neil
Another sector with long working hours is the construction industry. Low paid, dirty and physically demanding, construction workers also risk high levels of work-related injury. Here, Emma Stewart, co-founder of social business, TimeWise, tells BBC Radio 4 programme, Analysis, about her trial project to help builders enjoy their jobs more:

Emma Stewart
In the work that we've done within the construction industry, we have trialled what we would call an 'output-based' way of working, which means we shift away from this sense of presenteeism, this sense of: you are paid by the day, you are on site from seven in the morning until the last person leaves, maybe seven in the evening... to a 'task-based' way of working, which means: you are going to do five tasks over the course of this day. When you've done those tasks, and you've done them well, you can go home, but we will still pay you the same amount for the day. They were able to deliver the projects that we worked on with them on time, on budget, but critically the feedback from workers was that work-life balance scores doubled, and they were able to reduce the amount of overtime that they did - it's a win-win.

Beth
Emma describes the current working patterns using the word, presenteeism - staying at work longer than usual, or going to work when you're ill, to show that you work hard. But this isn't an effective way to work. Emma thinks a task-based approach is better, both at getting the job done, and for improving work-life balance - the amount of time you spend at work, compared with the amount of time you spend relaxing with your family, and doing things you enjoy. In other words, flexible working is a win-win - a situation that's good for everyone involved.

Neil
Maybe more flexible working would help some of the jobs I mentioned earlier in my question, Beth - according to a recent Forbes magazine survey, what was voted the worst job in the UK?

Beth
I guessed it was a job I've done myself - working in a call centre.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you unhappy at work?

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Does work leave you feeling bored and exhausted?

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🎯

Class Title:

Keep Your Brain Active – Real English with Neil & Georgie

⏱️

Class Length:

45–60 minutes

🌟

Objectives:

Learn and use vocabulary related to memory and thinking

Practice listening with real-life conversation

Improve speaking fluency on the topic of mental activity

Reflect on personal habits and brain health

🔹 1.

Warm-up Discussion

(5–10 min)

Start by asking your student(s):

Do you think your memory is good or bad? Why?

well, in other times my memory is good but now i think is not so good because the age is a difficult thing.

Do you forget names, places, or dates easily?

sometimes, places maybe not but names i work with different people in the office and remember all the names is difficult.

What do you do to keep your brain healthy and active?

i guess i work to keep my brain active.

How much time do you spend on your phone or computer daily?

the time to spend, it´s a lot of time because i use my phone and computer for all, to buy, to work, to research, to watch social media, and to watch series. so probably i spend like 9 hours a day in front of the screens.

👉 Encourage short answers with explanations.

🔹 2.

Vocabulary Focus

(10 min)

Introduce the target vocabulary one by one, reading them aloud and checking understanding:

Memory – our ability to remember things

Long-term memory – remembering things from a long time ago

Short-term memory – remembering things from recent moments

Sharp – used to describe someone who thinks quickly and clearly

On the tip of your tongue – when you almost remember something but can’t say it

Screen time – the time you spend using phones, computers, or TVs

🎯 Ask the student to say a sentence using 2 or 3 of these words.

🔹 3.

Listening Practice

(15–20 min)

🎧 Go to the BBC Real Easy English – How to keep your brain active

First listen – general understanding:

Ask:

What are Neil and Georgie talking about?

What helps them keep their brains active?

Second listen – detailed understanding:

Ask these true or false questions orally:

Georgie thinks her long-term memory is better than her short-term memory.

Neil always remembers people’s names.

Reading books is one way to stay mentally sharp.

They think too much screen time may affect memory.

Neil mentions doing exercise to help his brain.

🎧 Play the audio again and pause as needed. Check answers together.

🔹 4.

Speaking Practice

(15 min)

Use the following prompts to encourage free conversation:

What do you do to stay mentally sharp?

Can you remember something from your long-term memory? (childhood, family, school)

Have you recently had something “on the tip of your tongue”? What was it?

Do you think screen time affects your memory or attention? How?

👉 Encourage the student to use the new vocabulary naturally in their responses.

🔹 5.

Wrap-up & Reflection

(5 min)

Ask:

What’s one new thing you learned today?

What will you do this week to help your brain stay active?

Which new word was your favorite and why?

📝 Optional Homework:

Ask your student to write a short paragraph titled:

“How I keep my brain sharp”

They should use at least four of the new vocabulary words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about your brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn to talk about your mind and memory

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Every time i forget the towel on the bed, my husband grinds his gears with my atittude.

it grinds my gears when people forget to flush down in the toilet.

when the people forget the wc cover that grinds my gears.

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BBC Learning English - The English We Speak / Grind someone’s gears

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What does it mean to ‘grind someone’s gears’?

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♻️ Class Title: Let’s Talk About Waste!

Level: Lower Intermediate (A2–B1)
Focus: Vocabulary + Sentence Structure + Everyday Conversation
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Grammar Target: Present Simple and Modals ("should", "can", "need to")
Skills: Speaking, Listening, Writing

1️⃣ WARM-UP (5–7 min) – Small Talk: Trash Talk

Start with a few general questions:

What do you usually throw away at home?

well i usually throw away trash for example: plastic bottles, food leftovers, rotten food, papers and unnecessary things.

Do you recycle? What?

i don´t recycle but i help to segregate the trash in my home and in my work.

Do you use plastic bags or plastic bottles?

yes, everyday when i buy orange juice and i organize the food with plastic bags. everything is now plastic.

Vocabulary:

waste = desperdiçar

spend= gastar

get rid of= eliminar

throw away= jogar fora

put away= guardar

take out = jogar

Encourage full sentences:

"Yes, I recycle paper and plastic bottles."
"I throw away food sometimes."

You can show pictures or name items (bottle, can, bag, food) to help.

2️⃣ VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT (10–12 min) – Words in Action

Introduce 5 key vocabulary items through simple examples and short definitions in your own words.

1. Waste
Explain: “To use something badly or throw away too much.”
Example: “We waste food when we don’t eat it.”

in the past, we wasted paper at work but after the new technology we don´t use paper and we cut back on prints.

2. Recycle
Explain: “To use something again after using it.”
Example: “I recycle bottles and cans.”

i recycle bottles too, and once in a week i and my family separate the garbage/rubbish in the bins to help recycled system in the city.

3. Single-use plastic
Explain: “Plastic we use one time and throw away.”
Example: “A plastic straw is single-use plastic.”

unfortunately everyday everyone use single use plastic for example buy the bottle of water in the street.

4. Rely on
Explain: “To need something to work or live.”
Example: “I rely on my phone every day.”

I rely on phone, my internet and computer. ( tools)

5. Cut back on / Cut down on
Explain: “To use less of something.”
Example: “We should cut down on plastic.”

After each one, ask the student:

“Do you waste food?”
“What do you recycle?”
“Do you use single-use plastic?”
“What do you rely on every day?”
“What should people cut down on?”

3️⃣ STRUCTURE PRACTICE (10–15 min) – Make the Sentence Right!

Tell your student they will fix word order in short sentences. These are mixed up.

Example 1:
“plastic / I / always / use” → Correct: “I always use plastic.”

Example 2:
“never / waste / food / we” → Correct: “We never waste food.”

You can give them 5–6 jumbled sentences. Let them fix and say them aloud.
Then ask them to write or say 2 sentences about themselves using one of the new words.

4️⃣ GUIDED SPEAKING TASK (10 min) – True for Me?

Say a sentence. The student tells you if it’s true or not for them.

Examples:

“I waste food every week.”

“I recycle every day.”

“I use a lot of single-use plastic.”

“I rely on my car every day.”

“I want to cut down on plastic bags.”

Encourage longer responses:

“Yes, that’s true. I recycle paper and glass.”
“No, I don’t. I try not to waste food.”

5️⃣ CREATIVE PRODUCTION (10–15 min) – My Daily Habits

Ask your student to speak (or write) about their daily habits using the new words.

Prompt with simple questions:

What do you waste?

What do you recycle?

What do you use every day?

What do you want to cut down on?

Support with sentence starters:

“At home, I usually waste…”
“I recycle…”
“I rely on…”
“I want to cut back on…”

Optional writing:
Ask the student to write 4–5 sentences using all the new words.

🏠 HOME PRACTICE

Ask your student to do this for next class:

Find 3 things in their house.

Decide: Is it something they waste, recycle, or rely on?

Write 3 short sentences about them.

Example:

“This is a plastic cup. I use it once and throw it away.”
“This is my phone. I rely on it every day.”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Photo: Getty)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Neil and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about rubbish and recycling Learn to talk about the things you use and the ways you try to reduce waste.

Vocabulary

waste
something that you no longer need, or use without needing to

recycle
collect rubbish in order to make materials that can be used again

single-use plastic
plastic materials that are used once and then thrown away, such as food wrappers

rely on
need in order to function

Transcript

Neil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Neil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. Did you know you can watch a video of this podcast on our website? Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Neil
Hi Beth, how are you today?

Beth
I'm very good, thank you. Neil, how are you?

Neil
I'm very good. What are we talking about?

Beth
Well, today we are talking about waste. So that's what we call things that we don't want any more, like rubbish or things that we've used, and we now don't need them. So, for example, after I've eaten some crisps as a snack, the, the packet is rubbish, it's waste.

Beth
I think so. I mean, at home we recycle. We can recycle glass, plastic, metal, card. All the usual things that we recycle here in the UK. What about you?

Neil
Yeah, I do what I'm supposed to do. So we have a separate bin for different things. For plastic and for glass and for paper and for food.

Neil
When I was a kid, everything went in the same bin.

Neil
Yeah. And now that seems really crazy and really bad.

Beth
Yeah, I would think so. Yeah. Something that I do as well in, is when I'm in a supermarket, I try to not buy fruit and veg that's wrapped in plastic. I'll always try and buy the individual products like apples on their own. Or, you know, a courgette. You don't need a courgette that's wrapped in plastic.

Beth
Yeah, I know that is true.

Neil
You know what people do these days, which is great that they didn't used to do. Carry reusable water bottles.

Neil
Almost everybody carries a bottle. And just a few years ago, people bought plastic bottles of, of water all the time.

Beth
Yeah, I remember when I was teaching in a classroom and I'd sometimes have students. They would come to London from all over the world, and every day they would go to a supermarket and buy a plastic bottle. And I used to, I used to say sometimes, you know 'why, buy a reusable one' and then you're not using this plastic all the time.

Beth
Yeah. So we have to try and avoid single-use plastics. What about water? So water waste. I really like having a bath just to relax, but sometimes I feel really guilty about it because it's using up quite a lot of water.

Neil
Yeah, I prefer showers, which is good because they use less water.

So, Beth, is there anything that you are planning to do to cut down further on the waste that you create?

Let's recap the vocabulary we heard in this conversation. We had waste. Waste is things that are unwanted like rubbish, and we can also describe something as a waste when someone uses something they don't need to, or they throw something away after not using it. So for example, when my kids don't finish their dinner, that's a waste.

Neil
We heard recycle which means to collect rubbish in order to make materials that can be used again. We can also describe something as recyclable. It means it can be recycled. It can be used again.

Beth
And we heard some common phrasal verbs that we use when talking about the environment. So we had to rely on which means need something in order to function. For example, we rely on plastic a lot in our daily lives.

Neil
We can also say cut down on which means to reduce something. And we also hear cut back on. So for example I want to cut back on s ingle-use plastic.

Beth
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. If you want to learn more phrasal verbs about the environment, then Georgie has made a whole video on this. You'll find the link in the notes below.

Neil
And next time on Real Easy English, we'll be talking about confidence. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about waste

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Learn to talk about rubbish and recycling

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🟣 Class Plan: Talking About Wishes and the Future

Level: Lower-Intermediate
Time: 60 minutes
Skills: Listening, Speaking, Grammar (Second Conditional & “wish” for present)
Theme: Hopes, dreams, and wishes
No charts used

🟢 1. Warm-up – “Quick Dreams” (10 min)

Objective: Activate vocabulary and interest

Ask:
🗣️ “If you could do anything this weekend, what would you do?”

I would sleep more hours less cold, i would drink wine at home.
🗣️ “If you had $1,000 to spend today, what would you buy?”

I´d buy a ticket to travel to Salvador.

Let the student answer freely.
Introduce the idea:
👉 “You’re talking about your wishes. Let’s explore this today!”

I WOULD.

🟠 2. Key Vocabulary – Matching Game (5–7 min)

Introduce 4 words from the podcast:

WordMeaningwishsomething you want to happenlotterya game to win moneysplash outspend a lot of money on something funmaterialisticfocused on expensive things

Ask the student to match them to their meanings. Use examples:

🗣️ “I wish I had a dog.”
🗣️ “I don’t want to win the lottery… I NEED to win it!”

🔵 3. Listening – Guided Questions (10–12 min)

🎧 Listen to the podcast or read the selected parts aloud.
Then ask:

What does Neil wish?

neil wishes he bought a bigger house

What would Neil do if he won the lottery?

if he won the lottery, he would buy bigger house to play music and record it. and nobody would listen to it.

What would Georgie do with the money?

Georgie would travel around the world and know new places and she wouldn´t buy anything because she isn´t materialistic.

What does Georgie wish she had more of?

she wished she had more time to relax and work less to do other activities and hobbies.

Let the student respond in simple sentences.

🟣 4. Grammar Focus – Real Life Wishes (10–12 min)

✳️ Part A: Second Conditional

Introduce with examples from the podcast:
👉 “If I won the lottery, I would travel.”
👉 “If I had more money, I would splash out on clothes.”

✅ Have the student make 3 original sentences starting with:

✳️ Part B: Wish + Past Simple

Examples:
👉 “I wish I had a garden.”
👉 “I wish I knew how to cook.”

🗣️ Ask the student to complete:

I wish I had money to travel more

I wish I had money to buy another big house

I wish I

🟢 5. Speaking Task – “Lottery Life!” (10–15 min)

Situation:
🎲 “You just won $10 million! Tell me…”

What would you buy?

Where would you live?

Would you keep working?

Follow-up questions:

Would you splash out on something crazy?

Would you give money to your friends or family?

🟨 You can also roleplay:
“I’m your friend. Try to convince me to spend the money with you!”

🟠 6. Wrap-up – Final Reflections (5 min)

Ask:
🗣️ “What do you wish for your life now?”
🗣️ “What would you do if you had more time each day?”

what do you wish for the world?

Finish by reviewing today’s grammar:

“I wish i studied veterinary in the future.

my husband wishes he bought bigger place for playing games.

if i had more time i would practice physical activities.

i wish the world had more peace and without hunger and poverty.

Ask the student to write 5 sentences:

1. 2 with “I wish…”

2. 3 with “If I…” (second conditional)

Example:

I wish I had more time to travel.

If I could speak French, I would visit Paris.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about wishes

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🔑

Target Phrasal Verbs with Definitions

1. be into (something) – to have an interest in something
Example: My son is really into building things with Lego.

example: i am very into learning the language so, i can get better positions in the companies.

i am into working abroad.

2. take (something) up – to start doing a new activity
Example: I took up swimming to relax after work.

i will take up a new project in June.

3. read up on (something) – to study or learn about something by reading
Example: I read up on child development before my son started school.

i read up on the verb to be before starting wise up.

4. brush up on (something) – to improve a skill that you haven’t used in a while
Example: I brushed up on my Spanish before our trip to Barcelona.

i brushed up on physical movement before returning to mai thai.

5. work on (something) – to put effort into improving or completing something
Example: I’m working on my patience as a parent.

i am working on my patience as a wife and mother of 8 pets.

6. fall behind – to make less progress than expected or needed
Example: He fell behind in his studies after missing a week of school.

we fell behind when we didn´t update the information.

7. catch up on (something) – to do something that should have been done earlier
Example: I had to catch up on emails after my vacation.

i had to catch up on my tasks during the project.

8. hand (something) in – to submit something, usually a task or assignment
Example: He handed in his homework just before the deadline.

i handed in the report before the deadline.

🧠

TASK – Complete the Story

Tell your student:

“I’m going to read a story about a busy parent. You’ll help me complete it using the phrasal verbs we’ve just learned.”

Story: “A Busy Week at Home and Work”

This week has been crazy! Lately, I’ve really been ___ ___ fitness and healthy eating. That’s why I decided to ___ ___ yoga in the mornings—just 15 minutes a day to stay active.

At work, I had a big presentation to prepare. I had to ___ __ the topic, since it was something I hadn’t worked on in years. I also realized I needed to ___ my public speaking skills, so I practiced every night.

At the same time, my son’s kindergarten teacher said he was starting to ___ ___ in writing his letters, so I stayed up late to help him.

By midweek, I was exhausted and needed to ___ ___ sleep and some emails I’d ignored. Luckily, I finally managed to finish the presentation and ___ ___ it to my boss on Thursday.

Now, I’m just ___ ___ staying sane!

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for education

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If you’re into phrasal verbs, you’re in the right place!

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🧑‍🏫 Class Title: Can Animals Help Fight Climate Change?

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)

Time: 60–90 minutes

🎯 Objectives:

Learn and use vocabulary related to climate change and animal migration

Practice listening comprehension and paraphrasing

Improve structured speaking and writing using academic and conversational discourse features

🗣️ Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you know any animals that migrate? Why do they migrate?

2. How do you think animals and climate change are connected?

3. Have you ever heard of the Great Migration?

Mini Vocabulary Preview (Quick Match):
Match the terms to definitions:

Term Definition

migrate : move to another place due to weather or temperature

sequester : store or trap something, like CO2

secret weapon : something that gives an unexpected advantage

🎧 Listening & Vocabulary (20–25 minutes)

Audio: 6 Minute English - Can animals help fight climate change?
Link: BBC Learning English Episode

Task 1: Comprehension Check

Answer the question from the episode:

How many animals are thought to take part in The Great Migration?
a) 1 million b) 1.5 million c) 2.5 million

Task 2: Vocabulary in Context
Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the episode:

1. Some animals __________ long distances for food or mating.

2. Climate activists believe forests and seagrass help __________ carbon.

3. The phrase "__________" means a powerful tool that isn't obvious.

4. The migration of sharks covers large __________ of ocean.

5. To understand better, we can say "__________" and then give an example or comparison.

✍️ Writing Task (20–25 minutes)

Prompt:

Write a short opinion paragraph (120–150 words) answering:
"Should governments invest more in protecting migratory animals to fight climate change?"

Include:

A clear topic sentence

Supporting arguments with vocabulary from today’s lesson

Linking words: however, in addition, as a result, for example, in contrast

Concluding sentence

Optional peer review or homework submission

💬 Speaking Task: Structured Discussion (20 minutes)

Debate Pairs / Small Groups:

"Sharks are more useful to the planet alive than dead."

Assign roles:

One student supports the idea using information from the podcast

One plays devil's advocate or a skeptical policymaker

Third student (if in group) summarizes the main points

Discourse Features to Practice:

Expressing agreement/disagreement

Adding evidence: “For example, studies show...”

Clarifying: “What I mean is…”

Perspective: “To put this in perspective…”

✅ Wrap-Up (5–10 minutes)

Reflection questions:

What new vocabulary did you use in speaking or writing today?

Did anything surprise you about animal migration and climate change?

How can you apply today’s vocabulary in other contexts?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How climate change affects animal migration

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How is climate change affecting animal migration?

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🎓 Lesson Plan: Comparing Education Systems

Level: Lower Intermediate

Duration: 60 minutes

Topic: Education systems and international rankings

Main Skills: Listening, Vocabulary, Grammar (Comparatives), Speaking

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Use comparatives to compare education systems

Understand and use key vocabulary from the episode

Discuss the fairness and value of comparing education systems

Express opinions using simple structured sentences

🗣️ Warm-up (10 minutes)

Activity: Quick Discussion

Ask: What do you think makes a good school?

In brazil the education system in private school is very good and what makes a good school is the methodology, the resourses, the teachers and infrastructure.

In Brazil the public education sometimes depends on the area or the management, however the public universities are way better than the private.

How was your experience at school?

All my life i studied in private schools and also universities.. I had good teachers along my studies specially in this private schools and universities, they were a good reference on the market and in the field where i work now.

i went to instituto social objetivo school in salvador, and i went to faculdade da cidade de salvador university.

Introduce the topic: “Today, we’ll talk about education systems around the world.”

🧠 Vocabulary Task (10 minutes)

Target Vocabulary:

contentious, outpace, rival, knowledge economy, regardless, segregate

Task: Matching & Fill in the blanks

Provide meanings and gap-fill examples.

Examples:

1. Smaller countries sometimes __outpace________ larger ones in education rankings.

2. The idea of comparing education systems can be _contentious_________.

they are talking about the quality of the sytems for schools around the world, and they´re talking about Pisa ranking ( is an international organization to test students in different subjects like math, science, grammar and reading)

Singapore leads the first place and second place is dealt by Ireland.

the principal in Estonia thinks is not necessary to segregrate the students regardless of the background, it is necessay to put the students at the level and do not segregate them.

📚 Grammar Focus: Comparatives (10 minutes)

Target Structure:

smaller than, better than, more effective than, less segregated than

Mini Presentation:

Explain comparative rules: (adj + -er) / more + adj

Use examples from the episode:

Estonia is more successful than many larger countries.

Singapore is better at reading than the UK.

Practice Activity:

Student compares countries (e.g., Ireland vs. USA) using comparatives.

🎧 Listening Practice (15 minutes)

Activity: Guided Listening with the Episode

Play short segments, then pause to ask:

What does “contentious” mean?

Why are smaller countries often more successful?

What makes Estonia’s system different?

Comprehension Questions:

1. What does the Pisa test measure?

2. What’s a knowledge economy?

3. Why don’t Estonian schools segregate students?

🗨️ Speaking Practice (10 minutes)

Activity: Discussion Using Prompts

Use prompts like:

Do you think it’s fair to compare education systems?

What would you change about education in your country?

Which country do you think has the best education system?

Encourage use of comparatives and key vocabulary.

✅ Wrap-up (5 minutes)

Quick Vocabulary + Grammar Quiz: True/False

A knowledge economy needs highly skilled workers.

If countries are segregated, they work together. (

Smaller countries often outperform bigger ones in education.

✍️ Homework (Optional)

Writing Task:

Write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences): Compare your country’s education system with another using at least 3 comparatives and 2 new vocabulary words from today’s lesson.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Which country has the best schools?

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🌟 Lesson Plan: “Is Learning Languages Good for You?” (Lower‑Intermediate)

🎯 Objective

Students will be able to:

1. Discuss benefits of multilingualism.

2. Understand and use five target vocabulary items in context.

3. Practice listening for gist and detail.

4. Share opinions and personal experiences.

🕑 Total Time: 60 minutes

1. 👋 Warm‑up (5 min)

Question on board: “Do you know anyone who speaks more than two languages in your family?”

i have cousins, most of them they live in California and they speak english.

2. 🧩 Vocabulary in Context (12 min)

a) Context Sentences

On the board, write six short sentences with blanks (one extra) using the target words.

Target Vocabulary: polyglot, pick up, brain workout, juggling, tune into, soldier on

1. Maria speaks five languages—she’s a true __polyglot____.

2. When I need new English words, I just talk to people and ___pick up___ them naturally.

3. Learning vocabulary every day is like a _brain workout_____ for your mind.

4. He’s always busy—_juggling/ juggle_____ work, family, and classes.

5. Before starting class, please _tune into_____ the podcast and settle in.

6. It was hard at first, but I decided to __soldier on ____ and finish my language course.

3. 🎧 Pre‑Listening & Prediction (5 min)

Write the week’s question:

“Which country has the most official languages? a) Zimbabwe b) Switzerland c) Bolivia”

Students vote and briefly say why.

4. 📻 Listening for Gist (10 min)

Play the start of the episode (Neil’s introduction + question).

Task: What’s the main topic? (Polyglots and multilingual benefits.)

5. 📋 Listening for Detail (10 min)

Play again. Students note:

1. The correct answer to the quiz question.

2. One benefit of knowing many languages mentioned.

6. 💬 Vocabulary Retrieval (5 min)

Ask students: “Where did you hear ‘juggling’ in the conversation? What was being juggled?”

Elicit one or two more contexts for each word to reinforce meaning.

7. 🗣️ Speaking & Discussion (10 min)

In groups of three, students discuss:

1. “Would you like to be a polyglot? Why or why not?”

2. “What skills could you pick up easily? What would be harder—how would you soldier on?”

3. “Is learning English a brain workout for you? How do you juggle your study time?”

8. ✍️ Reflection & Homework (3 min)

Homework:

Write five sentences, each using a different target word correctly.

Short paragraph (50 words): “How does learning languages benefit you?” Use at least three of today’s words.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning multiple languages

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🌟 Lesson Plan: “How Can AI Help Police Solve Crime?”

🎯 Objective

Students will be able to:

1. Understand and use six key vocabulary items in context.

2. Listen for gist and detail in a short podcast excerpt.

3. Discuss the uses and implications of AI in policing.

🕑 Total Time: 60 minutes

1. 👋 Warm‑up (5 min)

Prompt on board: “What crime‑solving shows or movies do you like? Why?”

2. 🔍 Vocabulary Discovery (12 min)

a) Context Sentences

Target Vocabulary:

where (someone) is coming from

background

what can (something) do for me?

renaissance

out of favour

real‑time

1. “It’s helpful to know __________—why someone thinks the way they do.”

2. “Her __________ is in digital forensics—she’s an expert.”

3. “When you ask, ‘What can AI do for me?’ you want to know its benefits.”

4. “There’s been a __________ in interest in old‑school detective novels.”

5. “Some techniques have fallen __________ because they’re outdated.”

6. “Surveillance cameras now show events in __________ to officers.”

3. 🎧 Pre‑Listening & Prediction (5 min)

Write quiz question on board:

“In 2020, Radio Times readers chose their favourite TV detective. Who won?
a) Sherlock Holmes b) Hercule Poirot c) Miss Marple”

Students vote and give brief reasons.

4. 📻 Listening for Gist (8 min)

Play the introduction where Neil & Beth pose the AI/policing topic and quiz question.

Task: What are they going to talk about?

5. 📋 Listening for Detail (10 min)

Play the segment where they explain one or two AI tools used by police.

Task: In pairs, note:

the podcast talks about the use of AI and the new use of it for the renaisence of the facts that help the detective to solve crimes.

1. One example of AI technology they mention.

2. How it helps officers in __real time how to solve crimes________ (fill in with “real‑time,” “background checks,” etc.).

Share answers with class.

6. 💬 Vocabulary Recycling (5 min)

On mini‑whiteboards or paper, students write one question or statement using each vocabulary item, e.g.:

“Where is the AI system coming from?”

“My background is in cybersecurity.”

delivering information in real time.

facebook is out of favour for many of young people.

7. 🗣️ Guided Discussion (12 min)

Discussion Prompts

In small groups, students discuss:

1. “What can AI do for me?” – List three ways AI could help the police in your city.

i think with AI police can identify faces of criminals in big events like carnaval and other festivities.

1. “Where is the community coming from?” – How might public opinion influence AI use in policing?

2. the people believe in fake news and this can influence badly the use of AI.

3. “Is there a renaissance in detective work?” – Do you think new AI tools make detective stories more or less interesting?

Maybe, because the AI is created to find existed answers and that gives an insight but is not 100 %certain.

1. “Which methods are out of favour?” – What old‑fashioned policing techniques might we abandon?

first we need to lower the crimes and violence and later on check other tecniques to defeat crimes.

2. “Do you worry about real‑time surveillance?” – Discuss privacy vs. safety.

this is good for avoiding crimes in places like at home or enterprises but at the same time we feel watched all the time and makes feel intimidated unless you forget you´ve been recorded on a tape or a camera.

8. ✍️ Wrap‑up & Homework (3 min)

Homework:

1. Write a short paragraph (50‑60 words) answering:

“How can AI do something for you in everyday life?”
Use at least three of today’s vocabulary items.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can AI solve crime?

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Could artificial intelligence be used to solve a murder?

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🧾 Lesson Plan: Allergy Overload

Level: Lower Intermediate
Length: 60 minutes
Skills: Listening, Vocabulary, Speaking

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the class, students will:

Understand the main idea and details of a short audio clip.

Learn and use new vocabulary in context.

Practice speaking about allergies and health-related issues.

🔹 1. Warm-up (10 mins)

Discussion Questions:

Do you have any allergies?

Do you know anyone who has many allergies?

What do people usually do when they have allergies?

Can you name some common allergies?

Write answers on the board and introduce the weekly question: 🧠 “What is the most common allergy in the world?”
a) Peanuts
b) Pollen
c) Dairy ( milk/ cheese/ butter/
(Students give guesses – they’ll find out later in the episode.)

🔹 2. Vocabulary Preview (10 mins)

Present these expressions and check understanding:

ExpressionMeaningExample

call ahead of time

phone before you go somewhere

You should call ahead of time to book a table.

accommodate

give someone what they need

We can accommodate gluten-free diets.

protocols

strict rules for doing something

Hospitals follow safety protocols.

(allergy) capital of the worlda place known for somethingThat city is the allergy capital of the world.

drop off

decrease over timeThe temperature will drop off tonight.

or so

about / approximately

She has 50 allergies or so.

🔄 Match the word with its meaning (or give a fill-in-the-gap activity).

🔹 3. Listening Activity (15 mins)

🎧 BBC 6 Minute English – “Do you know anyone who has 50 allergies?”
[Play the episode once – 6 mins]
👉 You can find it here: BBC 6 Minute English website

Task 1: General comprehension

Who are they talking about?

How many allergies does she have?

What does she do to prepare?

Task 2: Specific details (True/False or Multiple Choice)

1. The woman is allergic to 15 things.

2. She calls ahead of time before going out.

3. She lives in a place known for having few allergies.

4. Her allergies have increased over time.

🎯 Reveal the answer to the question:
✅ The most common allergy in the world is…

🔹 4. Vocabulary Practice (10 mins)

Use the new words in personalized questions:

Do you usually call ahead of time when you go to restaurants?

How can a restaurant accommodate someone with allergies?

What kind of protocols do you think airlines have?

Is your city the capital of anything? (funny or serious)

Has the number of tourists in your city dropped off recently?

Do you have 5 friends or so you speak English with?

(Do this orally or in pairs.)

🔹 5. Speaking Practice (15 mins)

Roleplay activity:
Student A: You have 10 food allergies and want to eat at a restaurant.
Student B: You work at the restaurant. Ask questions and see how you can accommodate the guest.
Use the vocabulary: call ahead of time, protocols, accommodate.

OR
Discussion questions:

What would you do if you had 50 allergies?

Is it difficult to live with food allergies in your country?

What’s something you would hate to be allergic to?

🔹 6. Wrap-up (5 mins)

✅ Recap:

What was the most surprising thing you learned today?

Which new words can you remember?

Any words you want to practice more?

Homework idea:
Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences):
“Imagine you are allergic to 10 things. Describe how your life would change.”

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
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Introduction

Do you know anyone who has 50 allergies? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

What is the most common allergy in the world?

a) Peanuts?
b) Pollen?
c) Dairy?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

call ahead of time
phone before an appointment, or before going somewhere

accommodate
give someone what they need

protocols
strict rules for how something is done

(allergy) capital of the world
a place that is known for (allergies)

drop off
get lower over time

or so
used to indicate that a number is an estimate, or is not exact
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Beth
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Beth.

Neil
And I'm Neil. In this episode, we're talking about allergies. Allergies are when a certain food or material makes you feel sick. Do you have any allergies, Beth?

Beth
Yeah, so I am actually allergic to dairy so I can't have anything with milk. So, no cheese, no butter. What about you, Neil? Have you got any allergies?

Neil
Well, I'm not great with dairy either, but it's not an allergy - more of an intolerance. So, it just makes me feel a bit bad rather than actually making me sick. But I do have hay fever, so I'm allergic to pollen. That means in the summer months I'm sneezing and coughing all the time. I get runny eyes and a runny nose, and it also gives me a little bit of asthma, so it's a bit of a pain.

Beth
Oh yeah, that sounds really horrible. Now, scientific evidence shows that more people are developing allergies. In this programme we're going to find out about what it's like living with an allergy and where in the world has the highest rate of allergies.

Neil
But first, I have a question for you, Beth. What is the most common allergy in the world? Is it:

a) Peanuts?
b) Pollen? Or
c) Dairy?

Beth
I'm going to say pollen. A lot of people I know have hay fever.

Neil
Including me. Well, we'll find out the answer at the end of the show. Now, Beth, you're allergic to dairy, but imagine if you had over 50 allergies. That's the situation for Mia Silverman, who runs a social media account, Allergies with Mia, where she talks about living with lots of allergies.

Mia Silverman
My 50+ allergies include all nuts and their oils. I'm allergic to all fish except for cooked tuna and cooked codfish.

Beth
Life for Mia involves a lot of planning, as she told BBC World Service programme, What in the World.

Mia needs to find out whether restaurants can accommodate her allergies. Accommodate in this context means give someone what they need.

Because Mia has so many allergies, she has to visit restaurants which have protocols to stop the food she is allergic to touching her meal. Protocols means a set of rules for a process, to make sure things are done properly.

Beth
Now, most people who have allergies don't have as many as Mia, but scientists believe more people are developing allergies. And there is one place where the number of allergies is particularly high: Australia.

Beth
BBC journalist Frances Mao is from Australia and explains some of the allergy data to BBC World Service podcast, What in the World.

Frances talks about the high numbers of Australian infants, that's babies, who have allergies. But she says the numbers drop off as children get older. If numbers or rates of something drop off, they get lower.

By age six or so, Australian children are less likely to have allergies. We can use or so in informal speech to show that the number is an estimate: it's not exact.

Neil
So Beth, is there anything we can do about all these allergies?

Beth
Well, scientists are investigating giving babies vitamin D, which can be shown to reduce allergies. Another technique is immunotherapy, which involves scientists giving children tiny amounts of the thing they are allergic to and then building up their baby's tolerance.

Neil
Interesting! And I think it's time to find out the answer to my question. I asked you, 'What is the most common allergy in the world?'

Beth
I said pollen. Was I right?

Neil
You were right. Well done!

If somewhere is the capital of the world for a particular thing, it is known for that thing. For example, London is sometimes called the theatre capital of the world because we have lots of theatres.

Beth
Once again, our six minutes are up. But you can test your knowledge even more using the interactive quiz on our website - visit bbclearningenglish.com.

Neil
Bye for now!

Beth
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are we getting more allergic to things?

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Do you know anyone who has 50+ allergies?

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🎓 Lesson Plan – Can Natural Remedies Boost Your Immune System?

🎯 Level: Intermediate (B1–B2)

⏰ Time: 45–60 minutes

🎧 Source: BBC Learning English – 6 Minute English

Episode: "Can ginger shots, turmeric and cold water swimming boost your immune system?"

🧠 Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Understand a short audio about immune-boosting remedies

Learn and use six vocabulary expressions from the episode

Share opinions and experiences using natural health remedies

🧩 1. Warm-Up / Introduction (10 min)

🔹 Ask Students:

What do you do to stay healthy?

Have you ever tried ginger, turmeric, or cold water swimming?

Do you think these things can help your immune system?

Introduce the episode title and write it on the board:
🗣️ Can ginger shots, turmeric and cold water swimming boost your immune system?

❓ 2. Prediction Question (2–3 min)

How many colds does the average adult get in the UK each year?
a) 2–3
b) 4–5
c) 7–8

Let students guess and explain their reasoning.

🎧 3. Listening Task (10–12 min)

Play the BBC 6 Minute English episode or read the transcript aloud.
(Link: BBC Learning English)

✍️ Listening Task:

Find the correct answer to the question

Write down natural remedies mentioned

✅ Answer:
✅ Remedies: ginger shots, turmeric, cold water swimming

📚 4. Vocabulary Focus (15 min)

➤ Teach vocabulary using the layout below:

1. touch wood

👉 Expression used to avoid bad luck.
🗣️ "I haven’t been sick all year — touch wood!"

2. snuffles / sniffles

👉 Minor cold symptoms, like a runny or blocked nose.
🗣️ "He’s got the sniffles again. Must be the weather."

3. back me up

👉 An informal way to ask someone to support your opinion.
🗣️ "You saw it too, right? Back me up!"

4. tickety-boo

👉 British informal: Everything is fine and working well.
🗣️ "Everything’s tickety-boo – no problems today."

5. dampen (something)

👉 To weaken or reduce something, like feelings or effects.
🗣️ "Lack of sleep can dampen your immune system."

6. prone to (something)

👉 Likely to be affected by something, especially negative.
🗣️ "I’m prone to headaches when I’m stressed."

🎯 Practice Ideas:

Match the words to definitions or example sentences

Choose 3 and use them in your own sentence

Role-play a short dialogue using 2–3 expressions

💬 5. Speaking / Discussion Task (10–15 min)

Discussion Questions:

Do you believe natural remedies like ginger or turmeric work?

Have you ever done cold water swimming or something similar?

Are you prone to getting sick?

Do you believe in expressions like “touch wood”?

🔁 Encourage students to use new vocabulary in their responses.

🏠 6. Homework / Extension Task

✍️ Write a short paragraph (6–8 sentences):

How do you stay healthy? Do you use natural remedies or believe in them?

Use at least 3 new vocabulary words from today’s lesson.

. touch wood

👉 Expression used to avoid bad luck.
🗣️ "I haven’t been sick all year — touch wood!"

2. snuffles / sniffles

👉 Minor cold symptoms, like a runny or blocked nose.
🗣️ "He’s got the sniffles again. Must be the weather."

3. back me up

👉 An informal way to ask someone to support your opinion.
🗣️ "You saw it too, right? Back me up!"

4. tickety-boo

👉 British informal: Everything is fine and working well.
🗣️ "Everything’s tickety-boo – no problems today."

5. dampen (something)

👉 To weaken or reduce something, like feelings or effects.
🗣️ "Lack of sleep can dampen your immune system."

6. prone to (something)

👉 Likely to be affected by something, especially negative.
🗣️ "I’m prone to headaches when I’m stressed."

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Download a free 6 Minute English worksheet and transcript!

Try our free interactive quiz!

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
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Introduction

Can ginger shots, turmeric and cold water swimming boost your immune system? Georgie and Neil hear from experts and teach you some vocabulary.

This week's question

How many colds does the average adult get in the UK each year?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

touch wood
an expression used in spoken English in order to avoid bad luck

snuffles/sniffles
minor illnesses that affect your nose

back me up
an expression used in conversation to ask someone to say something to support your opinion

tickety-boo
fine and in good order

dampen (something)
make something weaker

prone to (something)
likely to be negatively affected by something
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Georgie
Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Georgie.

Neil
And I'm Neil. In this programme we're talking about the immune system, which is the body's natural defence against getting ill. Now, Georgie, is there anything you do to boost your immune system?

Georgie
Yes. I try to eat lots of oranges, which apparently have lots of vitamin C, and there are lots of things people do to try to improve their immune system, and stay healthier, like eating certain foods, taking vitamins, or even activities like swimming in cold water. We'll find out how useful some of these techniques are in today's programme.

Neil
But first, Georgie, a question. We all know the common cold - now, that's the illness that makes you cough and sneeze, have a sore throat and headache. But how many colds does the average adult get in the UK each year? Is it:

a) 2-3?
b) 4-5? Or
c) 7-8?

Georgie
Eight would be a lot. I'm going to go with a) 2-3 colds a year.

Neil
Well, we'll find out at the end of the programme if you're right. Now, many people can become ill over the winter with diseases like colds, flu and Covid-19. Host of BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Health, James Gallagher, gathered some experts to talk about immune systems, and he started off by asking whether they'd had more illnesses than usual this winter.

James Gallagher
Hello! [Hi.] Right, how has everyone been this winter? Because I've had a rotten one and I have felt constantly ill since about November. John?

James Gallagher
OK, let's see what I can infect you with by the end of the show. Margaret?

Doctor Margaret McCartney was unwell in September but has only had a few snuffles since. Snuffles is an informal word used to describe minor illnesses that affect your nose. We can also say sniffles.

Host James is surprised that nobody has been ill, and says to Professor Eleanor Riley ' back me up'. If you ask someone to back you up, you are asking for them to say something which supports your opinion.

Georgie
Throughout the winter, many people try different techniques, like taking supplements or eating certain foods to boost their immune system, to improve their body's natural defences against disease. Host of BBC Radio 4's Inside Health James Gallagher asks doctor Margaret McCartney whether some of these products are successful.

James Gallagher
OK quick-fire round Margaret. Echinacea?

Margaret McCartney
No.

James Gallagher
Turmeric?

Margaret McCartney
No.

James Gallagher
Ginger shots?

Margaret McCartney
No.

James Gallagher
This is a very, very good quiz! What about the stuff you squirt up your nose when you're at the beginning of an infection?

Margaret McCartney
Interesting, but not any better than normal saline spray - just salt water.

Neil
In fact, according to Margaret, there isn't enough evidence that many popular health products can actually change the way your immune system works.

Georgie
Another popular health trend in the UK is cold water swimming. People who swim in cold water say it's good for their mental health, and they also believe it makes them less likely to get ill during the winter months.

Neil
But scientists aren't sure about the benefits of cold water swimming for the immune system yet, as Professor John Tregoning explains to BBC Radio 4's Inside Health.

John Tregoning
The social element actually is really important. It probably is beneficial to do. You reduce stress and cortisol dampens the immune system, so actually if you're stressed then maybe you are more prone to infection. And that may be why that benefit of being with people, nice people that you like in nice places, is helping. But I don't think it's unique to cold water swimming. I think you could probably get it from dancing or singing or going for a run.

John says that cortisol, a chemical associated with stress, dampens the immune system. Here, dampens means makes weaker. We also have a common expression ' dampen someone's spirits' which means to make them less enthusiastic about something.

John says that there is evidence that people who are stressed are more prone to infection. If you're more prone to something, it's more likely to happen to you.

Georgie
It could be that cold water swimming reduces stress, and so it helps people's immune systems work well. But there are lots of other activities that could have the same effect, and help people have fewer colds over winter.

Neil
Which reminds me of my question, Georgie. I asked how many colds the average UK adult has a year.

Georgie
And I said 2-3.

Neil
And that is the correct answer, so well done!

Snuffles, or sniffles, are minor illnesses that affect your nose.

If you dampen something you make it weaker. And the expression dampen someone's spirits means you make them less enthusiastic about something.

Georgie
Once again our 6 minutes are up, but you can test what you've learned with the free interactive quiz on our website.

Neil
Bye for now.

Georgie
Goodbye!

Beth
Thanks for listening to this podcast from BBC Learning English. Continue your learning on our website with courses, quizzes and programmes to improve your English. Visit bbclearningenglish.com.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can we boost the immune system?

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Can ginger shots, turmeric and cold water swimming boost your immune system?

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1. Warm-up (10 min)

Discussion Questions:

Do you think eating healthily is expensive? Why or why not?

Have you ever eaten at an expensive restaurant? Was it worth the price?

Prediction:

Show the question: How much does a meal cost at the most expensive restaurant in the world? (€650, €1650, or €2650)Ask students to guess before listening.

2. Listening Activity (15 min)

First Listening (General Understanding):

Play the audio.

Ask: What is the main idea of the conversation?

Check if their price guesses were correct.

Second Listening (Detailed Understanding):

Play the audio again.

Students take notes on arguments for and against healthy eating being expensive.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do Pippa and Georgie think about the cost of healthy food?

2. What are some reasons why people believe eating healthily is expensive?

3. What solutions or alternatives do they suggest?

3. Vocabulary Practice (15 min)

Matching Activity: Match words with definitions.

Word/Phrase Definition

bags of (something) a lot of (something)

ultimately

finally, after a series of events

tackle

try to deal with (a problem)

a classic

well-known and of good quality

a pain (to do something)

annoying or difficult (to do something)

heavy-handed (with an ingredient)

use too much (of an ingredient)

Sentence Completion:
Students complete sentences using the vocabulary:

1. Cooking healthy meals every day can be _a pain to do___. (a pain)

2. If you want to eat well on a budget, you need to _tackle___ the problem by planning your meals. (tackle)

3. My grandmother’s soup recipe is _a classic___—everyone loves it! (a classic)

4. He was too _heavy handed___ with the salt, and the dish was inedible. (heavy-handed)

4. Speaking Activity (15 min)

Debate:

Divide students into two groups:

Healthy eating is expensive.

Healthy eating can be affordable.

Each group prepares arguments using the vocabulary.

Debate using phrases like:

I believe that...

Ultimately, the real issue is...

A classic example is...

5. Writing Task (10 min)

Students write a short paragraph answering: Is eating healthily always expensive?
They must use at least three new vocabulary words.

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

What did you learn today?

Has your opinion about healthy eating changed?

Which new words can you use in daily conversation?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Healthy meals on a budget

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Lesson Plan: Is Happiness the Key to Success?

Level: Upper Intermediate (B2)
Objective: The student will discuss the relationship between happiness and success, expand their vocabulary, and practice listening skills with the BBC podcast.

1. Warm-up (10 min)

Discussion Questions:

What does success mean to you?

For me success is to have a good job, to have health which is very important, to have freedom to choose to do what you want.

Can someone be successful without being happy? Why or why not?

yes, because i can be successful at my job however without peace, freedom and lack of money.

What things make people happy at work?

coffee break - the bonus - personal growth - holidays- our vacations.

Prediction Activity:

Show the title: Is happiness the key to success?

they will talk about the relation between success and happiness..

Ask: What do you think the podcast will talk about?

2. Vocabulary Introduction (15 min)

Introduce the vocabulary with definitions and examples:

1. Modernise – Make more modern, for example, through introducing new technology.

Many companies are modernising their offices with AI tools.

2. Social fabric – Community relationships that connect members of a society.

Strong families and friendships help maintain the social fabric of a country.

3. Intact – Complete and untouched.

Despite the storm, the old bridge remained intact.

4. Take centre stage – Become more important than anything else.

Climate change has taken centre stage in global discussions.

5. Brain drain – When large numbers of educated and skilled people leave their country to work abroad.

Many doctors move to the US because of the brain drain in their home countries.

6. Upskilling – Improving workers’ skills by giving them additional training.

The company is upskilling employees to prepare them for new technology.

3. Listening Activity (20 min)

Step 1: First listen – General understanding

What is the main idea of the podcast?

Does the speaker think happiness is the key to success?

Step 2: Second listen – Focus on details

What examples are given about happiness and success?

How do the vocabulary words appear in the podcast?

What is the answer to the question: When is International Happiness Day?

4. Discussion & Speaking Practice (15 min)

Debate: What is more important: happiness or success?

One student argues that happiness leads to success.

One student argues that success leads to happiness.

Follow-up Questions:

Can money buy happiness?

How does social fabric influence happiness?

What are the risks of brain drain for a country?

5. Writing Activity (10 min)

Task: Write a short essay (150-200 words) answering:
"Do you think happiness is necessary for success? Why or why not?"

Use at least 3 new vocabulary words.

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

Review the key vocabulary.

Share answers to the International Happiness Day question.

Ask: What did you learn today?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The country that measures happiness

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Warm-up (10 min) – Discussion

• Ask the student:

Have you ever seen an online post or video that made people angry? Why do you think people react so strongly?

i saw the video of Daniela mercury and all people were leaving bad comments about her performance during the carnival in salvador 2025, and for me this was a rage bait.

maria bethania and daniela are the queens to win the grumpiest singers.

• Briefly introduce the concept of rage bait (content designed to provoke anger for engagement).

rage bait is the feeling of hatred in the internet.

verb= hate/ hateful.

the internet became in the place without law or the filtration of consequences.

2. Vocabulary Introduction (15 min)

Target Words/Phrases:

• Rage bait – Content designed to provoke anger for engagement.

• Engagement – Interaction with online content (likes, comments, shares).

• Monetization – Turning content into money. you are turning my hatred into love.

• Algorithm – A system that decides which content gets promoted.

• Controversial – Likely to cause disagreement or strong opinions.

• Clickbait – Sensational headlines designed to attract attention.

• Ad revenue – Money earned from online advertisements.

Activity:

• Provide definitions and examples.

• Ask the student to match the words with their meanings.

• Have them create sentences using the new vocabulary.

3. Speaking Activity (20 min) – Debate & Discussion

Task: Is rage bait an ethical way to make money online?

• Student argues for or against rage bait as a business strategy.

• Encourage them to use new vocabulary.

• Guide them with follow-up questions:

• Why do people engage with rage bait?

• Should social media platforms limit this kind of content?

Phil and Beth talk about the rage bait which means offensive comments on post, videos and forums in social media. The bad consequences on the topic and how we should solve and should think before like or comment the post.

4. Writing Activity (20 min) – Opinion Piece

Prompt:

“Do you think people should make money from rage bait? Why or why not?”

• Student writes a short opinion piece (150–200 words).

• Encourage them to use at least four of the new vocabulary words.

• Provide feedback on structure, grammar, and vocabulary use.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rage bait: How online anger makes money

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How do people make money from rage bait?

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Here are the key vocabulary words with their definitions:

1. Bond “ A strong connection or relationship between people.

Example: The bond between sisters can last a lifetime.

2. Rivalry “ Competition or conflict between people, especially siblings.

Example: Sibling rivalry is common when children compete for their parents attention.

3. Support “ Help or encouragement given to someone.

Example: Good sisters always support each other in difficult times.

4. Upbringing “ The way a child is raised and educated by their parents.

Example: A shared upbringing can create a strong bond between siblings.

5. Sibling “ A brother or sister.

Example: I have two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother.

6. Conflict “ A disagreement or fight between people.

Example: Conflicts between siblings are normal but can be resolved through communication.

7. Loyalty “ A strong feeling of support or allegiance to someone.

â€¢ Example: Despite their arguments, the sisters always showed loyalty to each other.

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The Relationship Between Sisters

Lesson Objectives:

• Improve listening comprehension through a BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour special about sisterhood.

• Expand vocabulary related to family relationships and emotions.

• Practice speaking and expressing personal opinions on sibling relationships.

1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

• Do you have any siblings? How is your relationship with them?

• What do you think makes a strong relationship between sisters or siblings in general?

• Can you think of any famous sisters (from history, fiction, or pop culture)?

2. Listening Activity (20 minutes)

Step 1: Pre-listening (5 minutes)

• Introduce key vocabulary from the recording (e.g., bond, rivalry, support, upbringing, sibling, conflict, loyalty).

Step 2: First Listening (5 minutes)

• What is the main idea of the recording?

• Do the speakers describe sisterhood as mostly positive or negative?

Step 3: Second Listening (10 minutes)

• What challenges do the speakers mention about having a sister?

• What are some of the benefits of having a sister?

• How does childhood upbringing affect the relationship between sisters?

3. Vocabulary Expansion (10 minutes)

• Review the key vocabulary from the listening segment.

• Use gap-fill exercises or sentence completion to reinforce understanding.

• Ask the student to use some of the words in their own sentences.

4. Speaking Practice (15 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

• How does the relationship between siblings change over time?

• Do you think gender plays a role in sibling relationships? How are brother-brother or brother-sister relationships different from sister-sister relationships?

• If you could choose, would you prefer to have a brother or a sister? Why?

• How can people maintain a strong bond with their siblings even when they live far apart?

5. Wrap-up & Homework (5 minutes)

• Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson.

• Assign a short writing task:

• “Describe a strong sibling relationship you know of (real or fictional). What makes it special?”

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The bond between sisters

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Are the stereotypes about older and younger sisters true?

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1. Warm-up (5-10 min)

Ask: How do you think babies learn to talk?

i think for babies is easier to talk because in their mind is fresh and associate objects, situations, characters and also sound and gestures.

Show a picture of a baby and ask: What words do you think babies say first?

so, babies say first mom and dad and also animals names and objects like toys for example.

Introduce key vocabulary (e.g., babbling, sounds, listening, repeating, parents, communication).

2. Listening Activity (10-15 min)

True/False statements about the podcast

Vocabulary from the podcast:

Summary:

the podcast talks about how babies learn how to speak . The babies assossiate the objects and situation to comunicate and express. They babble words, they cut the words, they focus on stressed words for example: banana - nana and machine - minge.

3. Discussion (10 min)

Do babies learn to talk in the same way in all languages?

What do you remember about how you learned to speak?

in the past was probably easy for me to speak because my parents use clear words. i said my first word was grandma and grandpa.

i guess children learn now with different techniques, for example italian use gestures with hands and sound from the mouth and they are cute.

4. Speaking Practice (10 min)

Role-play: One student is a scientist, the other a parent. The parent asks how to help their baby talk.

Have them use the new vocabulary in their answers.

5. Wrap-up (5 min)

Review key vocabulary.

Feedback:

What was the most interesting thing you learned today?

is interesting to know the words ambiguous because it means two things and take for granted that is used to accept ideas. and babble that is what babies do!

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
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Introduction

What do babies need to learn to be able to talk? Georgie and Phil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

At what age do babies usually start babbling?

a) around 6 months old?
b) around 9 months old? or,
c) around 1 year old?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

babble
meaningless noises and sounds which babies make as they start learning to speak

stressed syllable
sound within a word which is emphasised by being spoken longer, louder or higher than the other sounds

error
mistake

classic example
perfect or most typical example of something which has all the features which you expect such a thing to have

take (something) for granted
accept or assume something without question

ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning; being open to interpretation
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Phil
Babies have to learn to use their mouth muscles to make specific sounds. They experiment with different sounds and mouth shapes. So, what exactly is happening when babies start learning to speak? What do you think, Georgie?

Georgie
Well, Phil, I'm no expert, but I imagine they watch the adults around them and kind of copy and imitate what they do. What do you think?

Phil
I definitely think that's what my children did when they were learning to speak. Well, let's compare our ideas with those of an expert - Professor Julian Pine from Liverpool University, speaking here on BBC Radio 4, and he lists the skills that babies develop in order to speak:

Professor Julian Pine
Well, one of the first things the child's got to do is, they've got to break down the speech stream into words. Then they've got to link the words to the things that they refer to in the environment, so they've got to learn what the words mean. [Right].

Georgie
In this programme, we'll discover how babies learn to speak, and, as usual, we'll learn some useful new vocabulary. And on the subject of words, remember you can find a list of this programme's vocabulary on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Some people find it helpful to study the vocabulary before listening.

a) around 6 months old?
b) around 9 months old? or,
c) around 1 year old?

Georgie
OK, I think my best guess would be a) around six months old.

Michael Rosen
Ooh, and I've got an example of this - my son used to call a machine a 'sminge' - he just hit the stress, he didn't bother with the 'ma' bit.

Professor Julian Pine
Yeah, exactly.

Michael Rosen
Or he may have thought it was 'my sminge' of course, that's the other thing.

Michael Rosen
Yes, I think I call them that!

The classic example of this is when children say 'nana' instead of 'banana'. A classic example of something means the best example of it, one containing all the features you expect such a thing to have. For example, ants are a classic example of animals working together.

Georgie
The second skill babies develop as they learn to speak is correctly linking a word to the object it refers to, in other words knowing what the word means. As adults we do this without thinking, but it's actually much harder than it sounds, as Professor Julian Pine explains to BBC Radio 4 programme, 'Word of Mouth'.

Professor Julian Pine
Well, we take for granted the fact that it's kind of obvious what words refer to in the environment, but actually if you look at it from the child's point of view, it's really difficult to work out what a word refers to because there's so many things it could refer to. So, you know, the speech signal is very ambiguous. How does the child know that you're talking about the cup in front of you, or the pen in front of you when you say 'pen' or 'cup'?

As adults, we take it for granted that when a friend says, "apple", they mean that round, red thing on the table. To take it for granted means to assume something without question. But for a baby, the link between the word 'apple' and the object is not obvious, it's ambiguous, meaning it has more than one possible meaning.

Georgie
Wow! Who knew so much was going on inside babies' sponge-like brains as they soak up the sounds they hear? Right, Phil, isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question?

Phil
It is indeed. The question was, at what age do babies start to make babbling noises?

Georgie
And I said it was around six months.

Phil
And that is the correct answer.

Georgie
Yay!

Phil
Bye!

Georgie
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How babies learn to talk

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What do babies need to learn to do to be able to talk?

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1. do you like going to the doctor?

i don´t like but i need to go just at the last chance.

i underwent by a bariatric surgery so, i needed to go the doctor twice year to check my health conditions.

2. are people afraid of going to the doctors?

if you don´t go to the doctor you know if you are sick, you need to have a checkup and be diagnosed.

3. do you feel embarrassed if the doctor who examines you is a man?

no, actually.

Vocabulary

delay
put off to a later time; postpone

diagnose
identify a disease or medical problem by recognising the symptoms and examining the patient

suffer in silence
endure or struggle with painful feelings or trauma without asking anyone for help

put (someone) at ease
make someone feel calm and relaxed

when i talk to my team i always put them at ease.

confidential
kept private and secret; information which is not shared with anyone

non-verbal cues
communication using means such as the expression on your face, hand gestures, or tone of voice to show how you feel about something, rather than using words.

Manner / jeito. i have my own manner to deal with my issues.

feel/ felt embarrassed

get/got embarrassed in the meeting

it was an embarrasing situation when i forgot the word at the meeting.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Embarrassed to go to the doctor?

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Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the doctor?

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obsolete
no longer in use, having been replaced by something newer, better or more fashionable

if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
(idiom) used to say that if something is working satisfactorily, there is no reason to try to change it

clockwork
machinery using metal springs and wheels which move when wound up with a key

QWERTY
the traditional typewriter arrangement of keys in which the top line begins with the letters q,w,e,r, t and y

verbatim
using exactly the same words as were originally used

stick with
continue using or doing something

summary:

the podcast talks about old technologies that refuse to die and some countries still used the old tech to save or store data like Japan and Nasa with an old machinary, And also people prefer to use old tech because they think that if something ain´t broke, no need to fix.

Answer these questions:

what are the objects that you used to like of technology that now are Obsolete?

I USED TO USE CD PLAYERS TO RECORD MUSIC, VIDEOS, DATA, SERIES AND MORE.

for you what was the best invention of the new technology?

For me the best invention now is the airfrier is a holly invention.

what is the object of tech that you miss from the past?

video films, video cassette players and rent movies at blockbuster. and also the video games like nintendo.

grammar input:

used to = past habit

i used to listen to madona in my room when i was a child.

i am used to listening to music ( present)

i get used to/ i got used to

analyze this phrase: these phrases express negative discourse at any time in the sentences. only for speaking.

if it ain’t (isn´t) broke, don’t fix it

she isn´t sick. she ain´t sick

she didn´t call/ she ain´t call

he ain´t here/ he ain´t good.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Tech that refuses to die

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Technology is always changing! Or is it...?

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Introduction

Have you ever phoned up ( to call) a company and had your call held in a queue? ( hold on a waiting room) Could AI make this less painful? Pippa and Phil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

Approximately how many people work in call centres globally?

a) 7 million?
b) 17 million? or,
c) 27 million?

summary: write about what is happening with the effect of AI with the call centres.

A near future the AI can replace the call centers. But this process will happen slowly. Exist many factors around this topic. People prefer talk about their concerns with another person.

what makes interesting to know about this podcast?

The interesting the quantity the Call centers exist in the Indian and Phillipenes.

Vocabulary

yelling/ screaming
shouting

pacify (someone)
calm down someone who is angry

in the near future
very soon, within a short time

as a matter of fact
used to add emphasis to a statement, to give more detail about what has just been said, or to introduce something that contrasts with it

empathetic
able to put yourself into someone else’s position and share their feelings or experiences

you know
(filler word) used to give the speaker time to think, or to express uncertainty

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Call centres: Are you talking to AI?

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Have you ever phoned up a company and had your call held in a queue? Could AI make this less painful?

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Do you have any tips for building resilience?

You become resilent when you adapt to new situations. when you get to express your feeling in a smart way.

and when you learn from something that happened to you to be strong and to solve the problem.

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Write: Have you ever line-managed staff?

I had expierence managing a team five years ago. It was very difficult but i could develop new skills and grow up my carreer.

Vocabulary:

sheer = complete

thick skin = casca grossa/pele grossa

variety = variedade

awkward = estranho

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Listen to part of a radio programme where a manager is talking about dealing with staff.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about home towns

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Learn to talk about the place where you live

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about home towns

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Learn to talk about the place where you live

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Write your summary about the topic:

The topic talk about the relationship between children and electronics.

Bring up a discussion about excessive use of electronics and how can it prejudice children's development and parents must impose rules.

Write vocabulary:

Psychologist/ Argue / Ofcom / advice

Did you like this article? Why?

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English news and easy articles for students of English

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08-10-2019 15:00

A British agency writes a report. It says that children are using electronics more and more. Some very young children have tablets. They use them over an hour a day. Some older children use their electronics for many hours a week.

A psychologist says that parents need to set rules. These rules say when and where their children can use their electronics. A mother says that her children argue with her when she asks them to get off the electronics.

No one knows how much time is OK for children to use electronics. However, they should not use them for very long.

Difficult words: electronics (phones, tablets, computers), psychologist (a doctor who helps people with their mind and how they feel), rule (a rule tells you what you can or must not do), argue (say you feel differently and be emotional).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

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Children and Electronics - level 1 | News in Levels

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08-10-2019 15:00 A British agency writes a report. It says that children are using electronics more and more. Some very young children have tablets. They use them over an hour a day. Some older children use their electronics for many hours a week. A psychologist says that parents need to set rules.

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Phrasal verbs mentioned

take (something) on
accept responsibility for a task or project, often in addition to one's usual duties.

She decided to take on a new project at work, even though she was already busy.

He’s always willing to take on extra tasks to help the team.

i am willing to take on a new Challenge in this new Company.

come up with (something)
think of or create an idea, solution, or plan.

She came up with a brilliant marketing strategy that boosted sales.

We need to come up with a new approach to meet the deadline.

i always come up with a new plan for the team.

put (something) in
contribute something to achieve a goal

He’s been putting in a lot of effort to improve his performance at work.

They put in long days and weekends to complete the project before the deadline.

i am putting in long years of my Life to improve my career.

knuckle down
start working very hard, especially after a period of not doing much.

Let’s get rid of all the distractions and knuckle down so I can get this project done.

The team needs to knuckle down and focus if they want to finish the project on time.

i got rid of all the distractions from social media, Family trouble and couple relationships to knuckle down on Learning English.

get ahead
make progress and move past others, or complete your tasks earlier than expected

She worked hard to get ahead in her career and eventually became a manager.

In order to get ahead in this company, you need to be proactive and take initiative.

he worked hard to get ahead in the new project in order to get a promotion.

look into (something)
investigate, or get information before you take action

The HR department is looking into the complaints made by the employees.

We need to look into new software options to improve our workflow.

we need to look into about Puff Diddy scandal.

get back to (someone)
speak to someone again later to give them a reply after you've looked into something

I’ll get back to you with more information after I discuss it with the team.

Can you get back to the client about their inquiry as soon as possible?

i Will get Back to you with more details after i look into the situation.

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for work

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It’s time to put in some effort to learn these phrasal verbs

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Summary of the podcast

The Podcast talk about this change management of people and processes

New Words:

Otherwise

Either way

gatekeeper

morale

attempts

painless

Discussion

What kinds of changes have you experienced where you

I have experienced new ways of working, more flexible and dynamic

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Listen to a consultant talking about the basic stages of the change process and the people in a change management team.

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What are the benefits of working collaboratively and how can we work together more effectively?

Word bank:

Grammar input:

Discussion: what other things do you think can help with collaboration with a team?

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for feelings

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Calm down! Phrasal verbs aren’t THAT bad…

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The podcast talks about the skills in the interview of a job and the qualifications to determinate a job. The skills such as leadership , management in the process, and technical knowledge.

Your first day at work:

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BBC Learning English - Job Applications / Your first day

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Learn what to do on your first day in a new job

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for feelings

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Calm down! Phrasal verbs aren’t THAT bad…

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What are the benefits of working collaboratively and how can we work together more effectively?

Word bank:

Grammar input:

Discussion: what other things do you think can help with collaboration with a team?

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What do you understand by the word phrase Agile working?

what's your experience of agile working?

today i live and work in a very agile working because the company encourages the employees to work in different time zones and places with a support manager, so this way the work is more productive and efficient.

Word bank:

Agile/ suitable/ rapidly/

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How would you give bad news at work?

Word bank:

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Image: Getty

Introduction

Nobody likes to talk about bad news. But sometimes at work, we have to. Do you know the phrases your boss might use to give you bad news? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about how to understand bad news and deliver it to other people.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Phil
Sometimes we have to give or receive bad news at work.

Voicenote Clips
Even if you're really, kind of, grown up about it, it's still a difficult thing to hear. So to give that information is equally difficult, I'd say.

It's important to remember that you're talking to a real person and this bad news is going to affect them in a personal way, and you have to take that into account rather than just following business kind of speak.

Pippa
In this episode of Office English, we're talking about the language of bad news.

Phil
Welcome to Office English, the podcast where we discuss business language to help you succeed at work.

Pippa
Today we're talking about bad news. Nobody likes talking about bad news, right Phil? But sometimes at work we have to.

Phil
OK you're talking about bad news. What do we mean by bad news at work? What things can be bad news at work?

Pippa
So it's things that might affect your job in a bad way. So it might be a company-wide problem, maybe financial difficulties, decisions have to be made about what people can afford ,what jobs are going to remain and who might be losing their job. Or it might be something more specific to you, so your manager might need to give you bad news about a report you've written, or some work you've done, or something that's happened in your department that affects you.

And when people give bad news, they often don't like doing it and so they'll often use something which we call a business euphemism. And that means sort of a word or a phrase which sounds innocent, sounds harmless, but actually could mean something quite bad or serious. So they're trying to hide the bad news from you or make it sound like a positive thing, when it might actually be bad for your future at the company.

Pippa
Right, let's start with recognising bad news. How do managers talk about problems at work, Phil? What phrases should we look out for?

Phil
You mean fewer things like fewer people sometimes?

Pippa
Yeah, I think it probably is a metaphor.

Phil
Yeah, so a lot of these, I mean they don't have to be, but they often do mean that there's gonna be fewer people working at the place that you work, which could be bad news. And these euphemisms carry on because we actually have euphemisms that specifically mean people losing their jobs, but we perhaps don't want to say that. So we can talk about downsizing. How is downsizing made? Where's that coming from?

Pippa
Another one we use is restructuring. So the word restructuring, changing the structure of something, we might not think that wouldn't necessarily mean that there would be people losing their jobs, but it usually does. Restructuring is a euphemism for 'We are going through a process where there will be fewer people working here'.

Phil
And then we have some words are specifically about people losing their jobs. We've got redundancies and layoffs. What's... what's a redundancy? What's the difference between being made redundant and getting sacked for example?

Pippa
So, being sacked is when you lose your job because of something you've done or because of your performance at work, usually. Whereas being made redundant, in the UK we have a very formal process for redundancies. It is basically where a company has to decide that they need to make their workforce smaller and so some people need to lose their jobs, but it's not their fault. So being made redundant just means that your role won't exist anymore, your job won't exist anymore and the company makes that decision, but it's not something that you've done. It's just something that's kind of outside of your control, really.

Pipp
This is sort of a phrase that we used to say that somebody has to lose their job, it's another one of these euphemisms. To let someone go is almost, sounds like you're doing them a favour. When actually, you're saying that they can't work here any more for various reasons. So to l et someone go means to make them redundant, so that they lose their job.

Phil
Right so, we now know some words to talk about bad news at work. But imagine we're the ones giving the bad news. What else do we need to say?

If you have to do it yourself, it's not a nice thing to do, probably the best way is to start by being honest. So say something like we've had to make some tough decisions and after a long and careful review we have decided that... So that's showing that you've taken the decision that you are about to communicate very seriously, you're taking this whole conversation seriously.

Phil
And it's often good at this moment to, yeah, avoid cliches. So things like 'oh, look on the bright side'. I mean, there could be nice sentiment behind it, but if it's a cliche, it sort of suggests you haven't really been thinking about it and you haven't... you don't really mean it. So do try to make sure when you're talking to someone, sound like you mean what you say. Don't just use the same old, tired cliches.

Pippa
Yeah. And you probably don't want to just try and cheer them up. Your natural instinct when you speak to someone and they're upset is to try and cheer them up, but they probably don't want to hear that from the person that has given them the bad news or that they might see as responsible for their misfortune. So yeah, it's a really difficult thing to do, basically.

Phil
Unfortunately, even if you're calm and sympathetic with bad news, people can still be upset. Let's hear again from our BBC Learning English colleagues.

Voicenote clips
It's important to remember that you're talking to a real person and this bad news is going to affect them in a personal way, and you have to take that into account rather than just following business kind of speak.

I think there's a temptation to say to someone that something isn't maybe as bad as it is. And that makes the whole situation even more difficult, I think. You need to be upfront with someone even if it's difficult because otherwise you're just kicking that can down the road and they'll have to deal with a possibly even bigger problem later on.

Phil
It's a metaphor and it means that instead of dealing with something that you need to deal with now, you put it off until some time in the future. But if we go back to the metaphor, instead of picking the can up and throwing in the bin, you're kicking it further down the road so you'll just have to do it later on when you get to it.

Pippa
Yeah I think that's a good idea. So start the conversation and warn someone that they're about to hear something bad, is probably a good way to start off. Don't start the conversation with a nice chit chat and a really friendly conversation because they'll just think it's a normal meeting and then, you know, the bad news comes and shocks them even more.

That's it for this episode of Office English. Hopefully, you won't have any bad news at work soon. But if you do these phrases can help you communicate.

Phil
If you like this podcast you can find more programmes and activities to help you with your English at bbclearningenglish.com.

Pippa
Next time, we'll be talking about how to deal with disagreements at work.

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Bad news

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Learn how to talk about bad news at work

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Are you good at networking?

In Portuguese I’m very good. I can start the conversation and break the ice.

But when I need talk in another language, I’m not confident.

What is important for the network?

i think is important for keeping good positions in the future

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Image: Getty

Introduction

We meet new people at work all the time. Do you know how to start a conversation with them? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about some phrases that can help you with small talk and networking in English.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Phil
Is every conversation at work important for your career? Some people think so.

Voicenote clips
I think you have to be able to be very confident and be able to show off a little bit like 'This is what I do, this is why I'm good at it and this is why we should work together.'

Small talk is great in the way that it breaks the ice before you can find something interesting to talk about with the other person.

Phil
Welcome to Office English from BBC Learning English, your podcast guide to the language of the workplace. I'm Phil.

Pippa
And I'm Pippa. In this podcast we talk about the words and phrases that can help you through even the most stressful situations at work. And today we're talking about work events. Maybe it's a festive work party, maybe you're at a conference or award ceremony, or maybe you just need something to talk about with your colleagues over lunch.

Phil
Yes, there are lots of times when we might need to speak in English at work when we're not even doing work at all. And when we use these opportunities to improve our professional relationships this is called networking. Are you any good at networking, Pippa?

Phil
I think it depends on the situation because there are some situations where it's like everyone's there to network. So, because it's kind of accepted that you're going to be doing networking, I can make myself do it. But where I'm not so good at it is in... when I'm in a much more social situation where perhaps there isn't that expectation and I'm not the sort of person who's going to jump up and get out my business card and give people a long speech on what I do and how I could make them loads of money. Yeah, that feels a bit uncomfortable to me.

Pippa
In this episode, we'll guide you through these informal work settings from small talk to networking so that you can make the most of your conversations at work.

Phil
So let's start with how to open a conversation. Imagine you're at a work event, maybe a conference, and you want to talk to somebody important. How can we start the conversation, Pippa?

Pippa
Mmm, yeah. Some people prefer to talk about non-work things at the beginning and we'll talk a bit more later in the episode about how to do that. But I find it easier to kind of go in almost straight... straight in and just talk about something that they've done that's impressive because that's usually a good way to talk about work. If we don't know them, we can just introduce ourselves. That's a good way to start a conversation and then you want to kind of open up the conversation. So ask quite an open question, something like How are you finding the conference? or you could say something like What line of work are you in?

Pippa
Yeah, so you're opening up the conversation. You always want to keep the conversation moving like that.

So, what next? How can we move things onto work, if we didn't start on work, or... or maybe just keep the conversation going?

These are all nice open questions. It's not just a 'yes' or 'no and you kind of get to know what the person thinks about these subjects as well, which I think can be important.

Pippa
Yeah. There's two really great things about that. The first is if you ask a 'yes' or 'no' question, so something like 'Are you having a good time?' Somebody might just say 'yes' or even worse 'no'. And then what do you say to that? That makes it really difficult to keep the conversation going.

And another thing about asking questions like What do you think is next for the industry? is hopefully that person will then talk for a long time and you don't have to do all the work in the conversation and you can kind of listen to what they're saying and respond to what they're saying rather than having to kind of keep things moving and say your opinions all the time. Anything else you'd do, Phil?

Pippa
Yeah. So this is really good if you're nervous to speak. You could have a think about some opinions or some questions or some interesting things to talk about with people. You might be confident just to have a natural conversation but if you're not so confident, preparing a couple of thoughts is always useful.

Pippa
Yeah so, networking is kind of where we use this relationship that we've started and we use it for our career. So we could start by saying something like I'd really love to talk more about my ideas for... modernising the industry. So you can offer them something. You could say Can we grab a coffee some time? or Can I get your contact details? So you show that you want to continue this really interesting conversation that hopefully you've just had with them and you're giving them something. You just... You don't just want something from them.

Another thing you could say is I would be interested to work with you on a project or I would love to show you around my office or I'd love to show you around my company. This will depend on.. on whether you can show them round your office and you might not feel that the first time you meet someone you could say this. It's really a judgement. But you might want to think about, you know, a potential future professional relationship with this person.

Phil
Yeah, think about the things that you want to get out of it. What are the things are important for you from a work point of view?

Phil
And remember they're probably at this thing because they're looking for people to work with as well. So they're probably interested to hear what you've got to say.

Remember networking can be difficult for native speakers too. Let's hear again from our BBC Learning English colleagues.

Voicenote clips
I think you have to be able to be very confident and be able to show off a little bit like 'this is what I do this is why I'm good at it and this is why we should work together'.

Small talk is great in the way that it breaks the ice before you can find something interesting to talk about with the other person.

And then, what's really... what will really help you build a relationship is if you're showing genuine interest in the other person, that really helps build that relationship so then you can take it to other places afterwards and you can start asking the more networky questions.

Phil
And that's it for this episode of Office English. Next time, we'll be talking about the phrases used to give bad news at work. Join us, then. Bye!

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Work events

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It's important to be able to talk about our achievements at work. How do you talk about your strengths? What are interview questions really asking? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about phrases for selling yourself at work and when to use them.

phrases that you need to know they are necessary:

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Image: Getty

Introduction

It's important to be able to talk about our achievements at work. How do you talk about your strengths? What are interview questions really asking? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about phrases for selling yourself at work and when to use them.
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Pippa
How good are you at talking about your achievements?

Voicenote clips
I find it really painful to say, 'Oh, yeah. I'm really good at this' or 'I did a really good job at that.' I even find it embarrassing and painful to be told that, even if somebody thinks that I have done a good job.

I definitely think it's important to be able to sell yourself at work, not only for your managers and your bosses and even your colleagues to have confidence in you and your work and what you're able to produce, but also to give yourself that confidence.

Pippa
Hello and welcome to Office English from BBC Learning English. I'm Pippa.

Phil
And I'm Phil. In this podcast we discuss the language you need to help you succeed at work.

Pippa
OK, let's begin with how to talk about your strengths. What phrases can we use, Phil?

Phil
OK, so we have some ways to start talking about the positives, but in a job interview an employer might be looking for more evidence of the things that you're good at. What's the best approach here, Pippa?

Phil
Yeah, I think numbers and things like this are really good. Details are really important because anyone can go in and say 'I'm brilliant. Give me a job!' But here you're giving specific reasons, you're saying 'this happened, it happened by this much and that was a result of my actions'. You're... you're giving evidence as to why you would be good at a job.

Phil
Yes and it gives the hiring manager an idea of what kind of difference you could make to their organisation.

Pippa
And these phrases and examples would work the same in a conversation with your manager like an appraisal, which is where you talk about the work that you've done and talk about your goals for the future.

So we've got lots of ways to talk about our strengths. But when's the best time to do it? When we're in a job interview or an appraisal, sometimes it's not clear what the best answers are, Phil.

Phil
Yes and so other questions that you might be asked could be things like how did you feel about... a particular situation. Or maybe it's they've asked you about a mistake and they're asking you how did you feel about that? or how did you react to it? And it's not really asking about your feelings, it's asking what you've learnt from that situation, how you developed.

Pippa
Yeah. So what people want to know when they're asking these kinds of questions is how you might react in the future. So if you came across the same problem in the job today, you know, how might you be different, what have you learned. And often people ask about mistakes and that can be quite stressful because you don't really want to say 'I did this thing wrong', but yes, it is an opportunity to talk about how you've learned something.

Phil
In fact, a lot of these questions, you're basically telling a story about yourself, but a story that shows why you're really good for this job.

Pippa
Yeah and it's kind of the same even when you're already in a job, you're talking with your manager, you're reviewing your work. It's really about being able to tell the right kind of story about things that you've done and what you want to achieve in the future.

Voicenote clips
I find it really painful to say 'Oh, yeah, I'm really good at this' or 'I did a really good job that.' I even find it embarrassing and painful to be told that, even if somebody thinks that I have done a good job.

I had one instance where I was asked to introduce myself and talk about my work experience in a meeting and so I did that and my boss said that actually, I was being very modest about my achievements in a particular area and I, as a response, made it seem very negative. I said, 'Oh, no, no. It's this. It's this. Oh, this is really bad. This is really bad' when there was no need for that.

Pippa
Yeah so it's a balance between being modest and being able to boast or talk about your achievements to sell yourself. It could be different in different companies and different cultures, as we always say, but in a job interview probably you don't want to be too modest, you want to be able to sell yourself!

Phil
Well, that's the end of this episode of Office English.

Pippa
And the end of the series.

Phil
We'll be back soon with more programmes to help you with your business English. But for now, we'd love to hear from you. Have you enjoyed this series? Are there any situations at work where you would like help with your English?

Pippa
Perhaps you would like more tips on applying for and getting a job in English. Or maybe you'd like to hear from some successful entrepreneurs. Email us your suggestions and questions to learning.english@bbc.co.uk and we will do our best to cover your problem in a future episode.

Phil
And remember, there's loads more ways to improve your English with BBC Learning English. You can check out another of our podcasts, 6 Minute English, or head to our website for courses and activities: bbclearningenglish.com

Pippa
Thanks for listening to Office English. Bye for now!

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Selling yourself

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Learn how to talk about your achievements

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Negotiating

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It can be stressful to make sure you get the best price for something. Do you know how to open a negotiation? How can we be firm and professional in a negotiation? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about negotiating at work.

I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't want to come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

how are you when you negotiate?

i am very polite, because in my job is very complicated i work with the finances and the taxes, benefits from the employees but i always look forward to the benefits of the company.

Phrases for negotiation:

i would like to negotiate with you about.....

if you don't mind i would like to ....

your offer is really good but we have to be realistic and....

the price is nice but we are not able to cover our costs

do you think is better to ...

would you do that for the company?

i really need extra time for the deadline.

i would like to ask for a favor

can you please attach your petition via email?

i would like to give you the answer now but i need time to solve some demands .

activity: ask your collaborator to schedule an unexpected meeting

a) i am sorry to tell you this at this last minute, but due to an emergency of the company i need to schedule a meeting today. can you schedule the best time?

b)okay, i would like to see my schedule and then let you know about the best time, is it possible?

a)sure thing! please let me know as soon as you can, best regards!

b) no problem!

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Image: Getty

Introduction

It can be stressful to make sure you get the best price for something. Do you know how to open a negotiation? How can we be firm and professional in a negotiation? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about negotiating at work.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Phil
Sometimes at work, we need to be able to negotiate.

Voicenote clips
I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't wanna come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

Pippa
Today on Office English, we're talking about the language of negotiating.

Phil
Hello and welcome to Office English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Pippa
And I'm Pippa. And in this podcast we discuss the business English that you can use to do well at work.

Phil
Today, we're talking about negotiations. This means discussions which we use to get what we want. So, for example, if we wanted to buy a car, we might negotiate with the sales person to get the best price.

Pippa
OK, so do you ever negotiate at work, Phil.

Phil
Sometimes, yes, particularly when there's someone who we might need to do some work for us and we have to make sure that we get a good price for the department.

Pippa
Yeah, so we tend to negotiate at work even if it's not a big part of our job. So, if you're a salesperson or you're dealing with customers a lot, you might have to negotiate all the time at work. But even if you don't, you might need to negotiate now and then when you're asking for a price for something.

Or even in your own role, so if you're asking for something from your boss or if you're starting a new job, you need to talk about how much you're going to get paid, what your hours would be, you'd been negotiating with them about that. And the way that people negotiate, especially in business deals between different companies, differs around the world and depending on the situation.

But today, we'll talk about some phrases for negotiating that are familiar in the UK context.

Phil
So, first up, how do we start a negotiation, Pippa?

Pippa
So, in Britain, there's usually some politeness or small talk, and we talked about small talk in a previous episode. But once you've kind of said hello, had a chat with the person, then you might say something like Right! let's talk about the price or let's get down to business is a nice phrase.

Pippa
Yeah, and in some contexts you wouldn't need to have the chit chat part at the beginning. You might just go straight in and say 'OK, we're talking about this product and we need to talk about the price of it' and you don't need to have the small talk. But in the UK we tend to do that.

And then probably what you want to do is make your opening offer. So you might say I'm looking for... ten pounds for this or I think my work is worth... four hundred pounds, for instance.

Phil
Yes and of course, because it's a negotiation, you're probably going to ask for more than what you'd actually accept.

OK, so we've started the negotiation. But how do we try and persuade the other person to give us what we want? Are there any phrases that we can use, Phil?

Phil
Yeah so, if you want somebody to increase the amount they'll pay you for something, then you could say something like we've got to cover our costs and cover your costs means that you need to earn enough to pay for what it would cost to do something.

Pippa
Yes, you're using 'we' so you're sort of negotiating on behalf of the company rather than on behalf of yourself. And both of these phrases we've got to cover our costs and we have to be realistic about the budget are still kind of friendly. So it's not actually an argument when you're negotiating, it's more of a discussion.

Phil
Ok and we've talked a lot about negotiating with someone from another company, but actually sometimes you have to negotiate with people in your company and in fact, sometimes you have to negotiate with your boss, particularly about how much you get paid. So you might want to use phrases like Well, other people in my position earn... this much or I've taken on lots of responsibility without more pay.

Pippa
Yes, and it's probably useful to say that it will depend on your company as to whether there is an opportunity to talk about your pay and to negotiate it. Some companies don't like that, some do, it really depends. But yes, giving evidence for why you want more money would be a useful thing to do.

Phil
Right, so we have some ways to try and persuade the other person in a negotiation. Let's imagine that after haggling for a while, we're ready to accept the price or offer. How do we end a negotiation?

Pippa
Well, we could be quite informal and we could say OK, we can go with five pounds. So we can go with means we'll accept that amount. Or you could be more formal, you could say something like I'm happy to accept five pounds, thank you very much. And then one thing that I think is useful is to try and sort of maintain the business relationship. So you've not just gone there to get the best price possible, but you also want to kind of continue a working relationship with the person. So you could say something like I look forward to working with you or it was great doing business with you. What do you think about that, Phil?

Phil
Yes, I think this is quite nice because negotiations can sometimes get a little bit tense. So it's quite good to bring everything back to a kind of friendly tone at the end.

Pippa
Negotiations can be difficult, especially if we're not used to persuading other people to do something. Let's hear again from our BBC Learning English colleagues.

Voicenote clips
I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't want to come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

Phil
Yeah, I think it's different, isn't it. I mean, if you do it all the time as part of your job, if you're a salesperson or you're involved in things like that then I guess it's a lot easier, you get used to it. But in a lot of jobs we don't do a lot of negotiating.

Pippa
Yeah and that's why I think we're nervous to do it. But as we said, if you try and remain friendly and try and kind of make the conversation less of an argument and more of a discussion then that's a good way to kind of try and get your, your opinion across. And one thing that is really important that we haven't talked about is it's good to be clear with yourself about what you want before you start the negotiation, what you would be willing to accept as a high or low point. Otherwise, you could get carried away and pay far too much or accept far too little for something. So yeah, think before about what are you wanting to get out of a negotiation, so that you don't kind of go in and end up with something you didn't want.

Phil
That's it for this episode of Office English. Remember, you can find courses and activities to help you with your English at work on our website, bbclearningenglish.com

Pippa
Next time, we're talking about how to talk about your achievements at work and sell yourself.

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Negotiating

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 2 / Session 35 / Activity 1

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James

Hi everyone, James here.

We're going to take a look at some quick and easy ways to agree with other people's opinions.

If someone says something positive that you agree with, you can say so do I or so am I.

You can also say me too!

However, when somebody says something negative with the word not for example, we use the word neither or neither. Neither do I, or Neither am I.
I don't go to the cinema very often. I'm not very well at the moment.
Neither am I.
Neither do I.
We can also just say me neither!

So, to agree with something positive, you use the word so, but to agree with something negative, we use neither or neither.

Thanks for joining us, everybody.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 2 / Session 35 / Activity 1

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James Hi everyone, James here. We're going to take a look at some quick and easy ways to agree with other people's opinions. If someone says something positive that you agree with, you can say so do I or so am I. You can also say me too!

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 2 / Session 36 / Activity 1

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When do we use if and when do we use whether?

Let's take a look.

The simple rule is that with conditional sentences we use if, and when we have two options, we use whether.
If I get hungry, I'll have a snack. But I don't know whether to have an apple or a biscuit.
When asking an indirect yes/ no question, we can use either if or whether - both are correct.
Do you know if the apples are fresh? Do you know whether the biscuits are any good?
Whether is maybe a little bit more formal, but with both questions there are only two possible answers - yes or no.

Why don't you try now!

Write us a question or a sentence using if or whether in the comments to practise.

We love hearing from you.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 2 / Session 36 / Activity 1

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Learn when use ‘if’ and when to use ‘whether’

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 3 / Session 8 / Activity 1

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can mean lots of things and be used in lots of different contexts! Let's look at some common uses.

Meaning number one. Through can mean from one side or end of something to the other. This is about place or a physical space.

We pushed through the crowd to get to the front.

Meaning number two. Through can mean from the beginning to the end of a period. This is about time.

We sang and danced through the whole concert.

Meaning number three. Through can be similar in meaning to 'using' .

We were lucky to get last-minute tickets through a friend.

And meaning number four. Through can also mean 'finished' or 'completed'.

We were exhausted but happy when the concert was through!

And we, too, are through with this lesson.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 3 / Session 8 / Activity 1

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Sam Through can mean lots of things and be used in lots of different contexts! Let’s look at some common uses.

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Selling yourself

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Image: Getty

Introduction

It's important to be able to talk about our achievements at work. How do you talk about your strengths? What are interview questions really asking? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about phrases for selling yourself at work and when to use them.
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Pippa
How good are you at talking about your achievements?

Voicenote clips
I find it really painful to say, 'Oh, yeah. I'm really good at this' or 'I did a really good job at that.' I even find it embarrassing and painful to be told that, even if somebody thinks that I have done a good job.

I definitely think it's important to be able to sell yourself at work, not only for your managers and your bosses and even your colleagues to have confidence in you and your work and what you're able to produce, but also to give yourself that confidence.

Pippa
Hello and welcome to Office English from BBC Learning English. I'm Pippa.

Phil
And I'm Phil. In this podcast we discuss the language you need to help you succeed at work.

Pippa
OK, let's begin with how to talk about your strengths. What phrases can we use, Phil?

Phil
OK, so we have some ways to start talking about the positives, but in a job interview an employer might be looking for more evidence of the things that you're good at. What's the best approach here, Pippa?

Phil
Yeah, I think numbers and things like this are really good. Details are really important because anyone can go in and say 'I'm brilliant. Give me a job!' But here you're giving specific reasons, you're saying 'this happened, it happened by this much and that was a result of my actions'. You're... you're giving evidence as to why you would be good at a job.

Phil
Yes and it gives the hiring manager an idea of what kind of difference you could make to their organisation.

Pippa
And these phrases and examples would work the same in a conversation with your manager like an appraisal, which is where you talk about the work that you've done and talk about your goals for the future.

So we've got lots of ways to talk about our strengths. But when's the best time to do it? When we're in a job interview or an appraisal, sometimes it's not clear what the best answers are, Phil.

Phil
Yes and so other questions that you might be asked could be things like how did you feel about... a particular situation. Or maybe it's they've asked you about a mistake and they're asking you how did you feel about that? or how did you react to it? And it's not really asking about your feelings, it's asking what you've learnt from that situation, how you developed.

Pippa
Yeah. So what people want to know when they're asking these kinds of questions is how you might react in the future. So if you came across the same problem in the job today, you know, how might you be different, what have you learned. And often people ask about mistakes and that can be quite stressful because you don't really want to say 'I did this thing wrong', but yes, it is an opportunity to talk about how you've learned something.

Phil
In fact, a lot of these questions, you're basically telling a story about yourself, but a story that shows why you're really good for this job.

Pippa
Yeah and it's kind of the same even when you're already in a job, you're talking with your manager, you're reviewing your work. It's really about being able to tell the right kind of story about things that you've done and what you want to achieve in the future.

Voicenote clips
I find it really painful to say 'Oh, yeah, I'm really good at this' or 'I did a really good job that.' I even find it embarrassing and painful to be told that, even if somebody thinks that I have done a good job.

I had one instance where I was asked to introduce myself and talk about my work experience in a meeting and so I did that and my boss said that actually, I was being very modest about my achievements in a particular area and I, as a response, made it seem very negative. I said, 'Oh, no, no. It's this. It's this. Oh, this is really bad. This is really bad' when there was no need for that.

Pippa
Yeah so it's a balance between being modest and being able to boast or talk about your achievements to sell yourself. It could be different in different companies and different cultures, as we always say, but in a job interview probably you don't want to be too modest, you want to be able to sell yourself!

Phil
Well, that's the end of this episode of Office English.

Pippa
And the end of the series.

Phil
We'll be back soon with more programmes to help you with your business English. But for now, we'd love to hear from you. Have you enjoyed this series? Are there any situations at work where you would like help with your English?

Pippa
Perhaps you would like more tips on applying for and getting a job in English. Or maybe you'd like to hear from some successful entrepreneurs. Email us your suggestions and questions to learning.english@bbc.co.uk and we will do our best to cover your problem in a future episode.

Phil
And remember, there's loads more ways to improve your English with BBC Learning English. You can check out another of our podcasts, 6 Minute English, or head to our website for courses and activities: bbclearningenglish.com

Pippa
Thanks for listening to Office English. Bye for now!

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Selling yourself

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Learn how to talk about your achievements

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BBC Learning English - Course: News Review / Unit 1 / Session 19 / Activity 1

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Key words and phrases
Floods/ flooding / draught area /float/ floating/ destruction/ to be drown/ drowning/it became a viral news/pouring/chucking it down/death toll/misplaced/earthquakes/chaos/cause/unleash /heavy rain/

what is happening in Brazil?

torrential
heavy rain

I'm scared of the torrential rain that will come here.

The storm brought torrential rain, causing widespread damage.

You’ll need to bring your umbrella – the rain is torrential out there!

displaced
moved from original position
The people must be displaced from the risky place.

The earthquake displaced thousands of people from their homes.

The displaced families had to find temporary shelter when the floods destroyed their homes.

wreak havoc
cause chaos

The pollution causes climate change and wreak havoc in the world.

The hurricane wreaked havoc along the coastline, destroying homes and flooding streets.

The train delays and cancellations wreaked havoc on many people’s morning commutes./transportation

i commute everyday by bike

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BBC Learning English - Course: News Review / Unit 1 / Session 19 / Activity 1

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Emails

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Do you struggle to write the perfect email at work? It can be difficult to know how formal or friendly to be when you are writing to a colleague, your boss, or somebody at another company. Can you use 'Hi' in an email? How do you end your email so that someone will reply? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about their email habits and suggest some useful phrases for different situations.

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Image: Getty

Introduction

Do you struggle to write the perfect email at work? It can be difficult to know how formal or friendly to be when you are writing to a colleague, your boss, or somebody at another company. Can you use 'Hi' in an email? How do you end your email so that someone will reply? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about their email habits and suggest some useful phrases for different situations.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Pippa
Emails. Should they be formal? Friendly? It can be difficult to know.

Voicenote clips
More formal than informal, although at times you might get a smiley face from me.

If it's someone that I've never spoken to before then it's more formal. But I'd still probably say Hi rather than Dear.

You know, those technicalities of when to write Kind regards and when to write Best wishes.

Phil
Today on Office English, we're learning the best language for emails, whoever you're sending them to.

Pippa
Hello and welcome to a brand new business podcast series Office English from BBC Learning English. I'm Pippa.

Phil
And I'm Phil. And in this series, we'll be guiding you through the trickier areas of business language and discussing some useful words and phrases for you to use in the office or wherever you work.

Pippa
Business language can be tricky. Even for native speakers of English. And the workplace is changing all the time with new technology and more people working from home. So we're here to talk about some of the techniques and phrases that we use at work.

Phil
At BBC Learning English we're all fluent English speakers working in a British cultural context. So that's the situation we have the most advice for. But we'll try to point out where things might be a bit different in different workplaces around the world.

Pippa
This first episode is all about emails. We've already heard from BBC colleagues that not everyone agrees on how we should write emails. But what do you think, Phil? Should an email sound like a letter?

Phil
Probably not. Everything with email depends on the situation, depends on who you're writing to and why. But I think an email is usually a lot less formal than a letter.

Pippa
Mmm yes, I agree. I would say I'm quite informal in most of my emails. But, as you say, it depends on who I'm emailing. So, in this episode, we're going to look at how to address emails, some useful email phrases, and how to sign off depending on who you're sending the email to.

Phil
OK, so first off, the email greeting. What phrases are we looking at here, Pippa?

So I do use, Dear. But it's not the one I use most often because I think in an email it sounds a bit formal.

So, you know, a more formal email that's not from me, but from the company that I represent. What I might use for a more personal email to a colleague, or something, is just to say Hi or Hello.

Pippa
Yes. And certainly in the UK we're more and more informal at work. So emails sound more and more like text messages. Not completely, but saying Hi or Hello doesn't feel out of place. One thing I like to say sometimes, if I'm not sure whether to be formal or informal, is to start my email with Good morning or Good afternoon. What do you think about that?

Phil
I think that's a really nice way to do it because it, it can sound kind of friendly, but it can also sound kind of formal. You can sort of see it in two different ways.

Phil
Oh, yes. We've got all these formula for using in letters like To whom it may concern or Dear Sir or Madam. But they often sound a bit cold and a bit unfriendly. It does depend on the situation. It will be different in different countries. It might be different in different industries. If you're a lawyer, it might be different. But I would probably use... If you use Hi, you don't actually need to say who you're writing to you can just say Hi.

Pippa
Yeah, that's really useful because when you say Dear at the start of an email, you need to put the name of the person. You can't just say Dear [pause] I'm writing about... that doesn't make sense in English. So, yeah Hi is really useful. Again, Good morning, Good afternoon work as well because you don't need the name. You can also hide the fact that you don't know the name of the person. Sometimes people like you to know and have researched who you're messaging. Sometimes that's not possible. So, just saying Hi or Hi there could work to be really friendly, but mask the fact that you don't know their name.

Right, so we've started our email OK. Next, let's look at a couple of popular email phrases and when we might use them.

Pippa
Ah, yes. This is one that you see a lot. And we might use please find attached... in an email to say that we're sending a file or a link. So that's what it means. A more informal way of saying this would just be to say here is... the document you asked for, here is... the report or here's... the link to the podcast that you wanted to listen to. That would be probably a more friendly way to write an email to a colleague or someone at work that you know well, rather than please find attached... But I think please find attached... has a place in an email occasionally.

Phil
Yeah. Again, we were talking about formal ones, maybe if you're representing a company or writing to people that you don't know. A bit of a guide for emails can be that emails are a lot more like the way we speak to someone. Whereas letters are often... formal letters are often a bit different to the way that you would talk to someone.

And finally. How should we say goodbye at the end of the email. What are the options, Pippa?

Phil
Now, this is the thing you always get taught to put at the end of a formal letter. I remember at school being taught this and I think it's probably still true for a formal letter. But I think it's a bit unusual on an email, even quite a formal email, I think it's unusual to see this.

Pippa
So, deciding how formal to be in an email is tricky. Let's listen again to what people at BBC Learning English had to say.

More formal than informal. Although at times you might get a smiley face from me.

Pippa
Smiley faces in emails! What do you think, Phil?

Phil
If I'm not scared of the other person, I'll often use a smiley face cos it's friendly and you can communicate a lot with them. But if it's a situation where you need to be a bit serious or you need to show a lot of respect to the other person, then it's probably not appropriate.

Pippa
Yes, definitely. I think smiley faces could be useful if lots of people in your office use them because sometimes when you just write something down people don't quite understand the tone of what you're saying. So they don't know if you're being friendly, or serious, or you're really annoyed. So a smiley face can sometimes help with that.

But I would not use it frequently with, or at all, with people I don't know, with people who are senior in a company. Usually it's kind of about what the other person does. So a good rule is when you're replying to somebody to try and match the way that they've written their email. So if they're sending lots of smiley faces, you're probably safe to send them back. But if they're being really formal, saying Dear and Kind regards it's useful to kind of match that in your reply.

Phil
Yes, so do look out for those things. Look at how other people start their emails. Look at whether they use smiley faces or not. Also think: Does it sound like someone talking? If it does, it's probably quite informal and you're not going to have any problems doing the same thing back.

Pippa
Yep, unless their email is really rude. Then you might not want to be rude back to them!

Phil
That's all we've got time for on this episode of Office English. Remember, you can find courses and activities to help with your English at work at bbclearningenglish.com

Pippa
Next time, we'll be talking about meetings and how to get your ideas heard at work.

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Emails

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USES OF PAST SIMPLE
A common use is to talk about one completed action at a specific time in the past.

I went to Germany last summer.

She met her best friend in 2007.

I finished reading my book last night.

I saw some dolphins two weeks ago in the sea.

Useful vocabulary for past completed actions at a specific time: this morning, yesterday, last night/week/month/year, two weeks ago, in (year)
Something that happened multiple times in the past (similar to 'used to').

My sister and I went to school by bus every day.

They ate a lot of local food while on holiday.

You had guitar lessons every Thursday when you were little.

He watched that movie whenever he was sad.

Something that was true for a period of time in the past.

Mum worked in finance when she was younger.

I really enjoyed university life.

My grandfather owned a bakery before he retired.

We lived in a small town growing up.

For a sequence of events.

He woke up, had breakfast and then left for work.

The team practised, had a strategy meeting, and then played the match.

Useful vocabulary for sequences: first, then, after that, later, following this, finally
It can be used with the past continuous to interrupt an action.

I was cooking when my phone rang.

She was studying when a storm started outside.

The teacher walked into the room as the students were chatting.

Useful vocabulary for when the past simple interrupts an action: while, when, as, suddenly
STRUCTURE
For positive sentences, add 'ed' to the main verb for regular verbs.

For negative sentences, add 'didn't' before the main verb in its basic form.

To ask questions, add 'did' at the beginning.

To ask for more information, add the 'who, what, where, why, how, when' question words at the beginning.
Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs are... irregular. They don't follow the rules and you just have to learn them. However, some do fall into categories which can make them easier to remember, like these:

spoke, broke, chose, froze, woke up

began, drank, rang, sang, sank

blew, grew, knew, threw, flew
To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other Tenses with Georgie videos.
NEXT
Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Past simple

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Learn the uses and structure of the past simple

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Present perfect continuous

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Learn the uses and structure of the present perfect continuous

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The present perfect is used to talk about the past, but there's often a connection to the present.

USES OF PRESENT PERFECT
Actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

They have lived in that house for years.

I have been a teacher since 2019.

She's worked here for a while now.

Daniel has played the guitar since he was young.

Useful vocabulary for actions that started in the past and continue to the present: for (durations) and since (from a point in time)
When the time period has not yet finished.

It has rained a lot this year.

I've travelled so much already this month.

They haven't eaten much yet.

The team still hasn't won a game this season.

Useful vocabulary for unfinished time periods: already (expresses that something happened sooner than expected), yet (up until now), still (up until now)
Something that happened in the past but is relevant in the present.

I'm not hungry because I've already eaten.

He can speak fluent Spanish because he's lived in Spain before.

She hasn't studied much for the exam yet so she's a bit worried.

The garden looks ugly because the roses haven't grown yet.

Useful vocabulary for past actions that are relevant in the present: already (expresses that something happened sooner than expected), yet (up until now), still (up until now)
Life experiences without specifying when they happened. The time is not important or not known.
Useful vocabulary for life experiences: never (to say that you have not experienced something)
Actions that happened in the very recent past.

We have just arrived at the party.

Margaret has just announced that she's pregnant.

The kettle has just boiled. Would you like a cup of tea?

Come and watch the movie! It's just started.

Useful vocabulary for the recent past: 'just' to emphasise how recent
STRUCTURE
For positive sentences, use 'have' or 'has' after the pronoun, plus the verb in the past participle. We usually contract the form with an apostrophe.

For negative sentences, add 'not' after 'have' or 'has'. We usually contract the form with an apostrophe.

To ask yes/no questions, change the order of the sentence so that 'have' or 'has' is at the beginning.

To ask for more information, add the 'who, what, where, why, how, when' question words at the beginning.

It's also very common use the word 'ever' when asking if someone has done something before.
To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other Tenses with Georgie videos.
NEXT
Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Present perfect

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Learn the uses and structure of the present perfect

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Present continuous

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Learn the uses and structure of the present continuous

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USES OF PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT meaning:
When something happens regularly. Habits and routines.
Useful vocabulary for habits and routines: never, rarely, sometimes, often, usually, always, every ____, once/twice, three times a day/month/year, at the weekend, in the morning/afternoon/evening.
For something that is true now. For something that is always true, or a fact.
FUTURE meaning:

When something is scheduled.
Useful vocabulary for schedules: at ____ (time), next Monday, next week/month/year/season, this afternoon/evening, tonight, tomorrow, tomorrow morning.
In a first conditional.
PAST meaning:
When telling a story (usually we use past tenses, but occasionally we use present tenses).

So, I'm at the park. There's a kid on the slide. He falls off and hits his head. I call an ambulance.
When you're summarising books, films, series, plays etc.

In the first Harry Potter book, Harry goes to Hogwarts school and makes friends with Ron and Hermione. They learn how to do magic and fight with You-Know-Who.

STRUCTURE

For positive sentences, use the main verb but add an ' s' for he, she and it.

For negative sentences, put ' don't' before the main verb for I, you, we and they, and ' doesn't' before the main verb for he, she and it. ' Don't' and 'doesn't' are a contracted form of the auxiliary verb 'do/does' plus 'not'.

To ask yes/no questions, add 'do' or 'does' before the pronoun.

To ask for more information, add the 'who, what, where, why, how, when' question words before 'do'.

To do

Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other videos.

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Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Present simple

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Learn the uses and structure of the present simple

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Tense is the form of a verb which tells you when something happened. Look at the verb 'talk' for example.

If you say 'I talk', you are either telling us a fact or talking about your routine.

If you say 'I talked', you are telling us about a finished action in the past.

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On a basic timeline, you have the past, present and future. At each of these points in time, there are four different verb structures: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.

Technically, there are only two grammatical tenses in English: present and past. To talk about the future, we actually use the present tense. However, it can be useful to separate the verb structures into 12, like this:

1. Present simple e.g. I walk

2. Present continuous e.g. I am walking

3. Present perfect e.g. I have walked

4. Present perfect continuous e.g. I have been walking

5. Past simple e.g. I walked

6. Past continuous e.g. I was walking

7. Past perfect e.g. I had walked

8. Past perfect continuous e.g. I had been walking

9. Future simple e.g. I will walk

10. Future continuous e.g. I will be walking

11. Future perfect e.g. I will have walked

12. Future perfect continuous e.g. I will have been walking

In the other videos in this series, you will learn about each of the 12 structures: how they are used and how they are formed.

To do

Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and continue to the next videos.

NEXT

Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Tenses: What are they?

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Georgie introduces you to the English tenses

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Meetings

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Introduction

Meetings at work can be stressful spaces to speak. Do you struggle to talk about your ideas in meetings? Do you know how to interrupt politely? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about some useful phrases you can use to speak in meetings in a friendly and professional way.

Basic introductions for english interaction:

in a new meeting with people you don't know you can use expressions:

hello everyone, i'm monique Oliveira and i'm charge/ i'm responsible for payroll and taxes at Bracell papers.

when somebody says something interesting and you want to say something too you can say:

i really think that's a good point in the discussion and i also think that ...........

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Meetings

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BBC Learning English - Course: News Review / Unit 1 / Session 2 / Activity 2

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Modal verbs review:

The story:

Word bank and new sentences:

history in the making

an event that will be remembered as really significant

Sending astronauts to the Moon was history in the making.

The election of the first female US president will be history in the making.

off the menu

not an option

We haven’t got any bread at home, so sandwiches are off the menu.

A holiday is off the menu this month because I’ve got too many work deadlines.

overjoyed

very happy

She was overjoyed to receive the acceptance letter from her dream university.

The parents were overjoyed to see their son taking his first steps.

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BBC Learning English - Course: News Review / Unit 1 / Session 2 / Activity 2